Confused Minds
by Porter-Fuzz1218
Summary: Being 18 and having a twin brother and a younger brother who is 16 isn't that bad. Moving from our home in eastern Cali to Jasper, Nevada that's a pain. The three of us may be new to this small town, but why can't we get rid of the feeling that we've been here before? We try to find out, but once we do we get swept into two wars. DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I

New Beginnings

It was a sunny Saturday morning in eastern California and I was just getting up and out of bed. I stretched and looked outside my bedroom window and saw my older brothers, Luke and Jacen, playing catch in the yard. All of our things were in a moving truck and the three of us kids were forced to leave our school behind, and football. I had always been a little envious of my older brothers' muscle tone and strength. I made up for that with my speed and agility. I heard a knock on what was my bedroom and my mothers voice say "Come along Ben, we're just about ready."

"Alright mom." I said, "I just need to throw on a shirt and I'll be ready."

"You're riding with Jacen then. Luke's taking his motorcycle." my mother replied.

"Ok." I said as I came out of my old room wearing red shorts and a black sleeveless tee and holding the rolled up air mattress under my left arm. I went outside that house for the last time.

Jacen was waiting for me by his new Camaro; it was black with black rims. Luke was standing next to his black Buell that had cost about forty grand. The bike was extremely nice and had 175 horsepower, which is a lot for a motorcycle. Luke was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket. His medium length black hair was brushed to the side and his piercing blue eyes were looking at the house. In his right hand was his motorcycle helmet that too was black. I walked over to him and gave him a quick hug. "Ride safely." I told him. I stepped back and Luke was smiling.

"I'll do my best little brother." he replied in a semi-deep voice that had an edge of youth in it.

"That's all I ask." I replied with a small smile of my own as I turned away and walked over to Jacen.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No, but I guess that I'll never be ready to leave." I answered.

Jacen put a hand on my shoulder and patted it before he went in the car and started it. I looked back over at Luke and watched as he put on his helmet and started the Buell. The moving truck started and my mom got into it and it drove off. Luke followed the truck, and Jacen and I followed him. Playing in the stereo was the album Vapor Trails by Rush, the first song being One Little Victory.

"How long of a drive to Jasper?" I asked Jacen.

"About two and a half hours." Jacen replied.

**Luke's POV**

Riding on my motorcycle I felt strangely at peace. There was something about riding that made me relax and forget about my troubles. I don't even know why my parents decided to move to Jasper, Nevada anyway. It was a small town and I personally thought that there goes the chance for a football scholarship for Ben, Jacen, and me. A part of me couldn't shake the feeling that I had been to Jasper before, it had a strange sense of déjà vu about it. It was like a faint memory that I couldn't grasp.

My helmet was one of the advanced ones, it had built in speakers for phones or music, in my case it was both. I had the iPhone 4, and it served mostly as my iPod. Being seventeen, almost eighteen, was strange. My father was in the military and I wanted to follow in that path, Jacen did as well but in a different branch. I wanted to go into the Navy and Jacen wanted to go into the Air Force. I sighed at the fact that I was leaving everything I had ever known in life behind. To get my mind off of matters, I started some music. The first song that came up goes something like this:

Cause sometimes you feel tired,

feel weak... and when you feel weak,

you feel like you wanna just give up

But you gotta search within you,

you gotta find that inner strength

and just pull that shit out of you

and get that motivation to not give up

and not be a quitter, no matter

how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse

Till I collapse I'm spilling these raps long as you feel em

Till the day that I drop you?ll never say that I'm not killing them

Cause when I am not then I am stop pinning them

And I am not hip-hop and I'm just not Eminem.

Subliminal thoughts when I'm stop sending them women are caught in webs spin and hauk venom

Adrenaline shots of penicillin could not get the illing to stop

Amoxacilin is just not real enough

The criminal cop killing hip-hop filling minimal swap to cop millions of Pac listeners.

Your coming with me, feel it or not you're gonna fear it like I showed you the spirit of god

lives in us.

You hear it a lot, lyrics the shock is it a miracle or am I just a product of pop fizzing up

For shizzle my whizzle this is the plot listen up,

you bizzles forgot slizzle does not give a fuck

Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out

Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth.

Till the smoke clears out and my high burns out

I'ma rip this shit till my bone collapse

Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out

Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth.

Till the smoke clears out and my high burn out

I'ma rip this shit till my bone collapse

Music is like magic there's a certain feeling you get when your real

and you spit and people are feeling your shit

This is your moment and every single minute you spend trying to hold onto it

cause you may never get it again

So while you're in it try to get as much shit as you can

and when your run is over just admit when its at its end

Cause I'm at the end of my wits with half this shit that gets in

I got a list here?s the order of my list that it's in:

It goes, Reggie, Jay-Z, Tupac and Biggie, Andre from Outcast, Jada, Kurupt,

Nas and then me

But in this industry I'm the cause of a lot of envy,

so when I'm not put on this list the shit does not offend me

That's why you see me walk around like nothing's bothering me

Even though half you people got a fucking problem with me

You hate it but you know respect you've got to give me

The press's wet dream like Bobby and Whitney Nate hit me

Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out

Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth.

Till the smoke clears out and my high burns out

I'ma rip this shit till my bone collapse

Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out

Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth.

Till the smoke clears out and my high burn out

I'ma rip this shit till my bone collapse

Soon as a verse starts I eat it at MC's heart

what is he thinking?

I'ma not to go against me, smart

And its absurd how people hang on every word

I'll probably never get the props I feel I ever deserve

But I'll never be served my spot is forever reserved

If I ever leave earth that would be the death of me first

Cause in my heart of hearts I know nothing could ever be worse

That's why I'm clever when I put together every verse

My thoughts are sporadic, I act like I'm an addict

I rap like I'm addicted to smack like I'm Kim Mathers

But I don't want to go forth and back in constant battles

The fact is I would rather sit back and bomb some rappers

So this is like a full blown attack I'm launching at them

The track is on some battling raps who want some static

Cause I don't really think that the fact that I'm Slim matters

A plaque of platinum status is whack if I'm not the baddest

Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out

Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth.

Till the smoke clears out and my high burns out

I'ma rip this shit till my bone collapse

Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out

Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth.

Till the smoke clears out and my high burn out

I'ma rip this shit till my bone collapse

Until the roof

The roof comes off

Until my legs

give out from underneath me

I will not fall,

I will stand tall,

Feels like no one could beat me

The song ended and it was followed up by Too Close by Alex Clare. There was something about those two songs, 'Till I Collapse and Too Close that got me going. They were at the moment my top two songs that I loved.

I rode on listening to my playlist as the countryside went from being green and full of trees to being barren and full of nothing.

After two and a half hours, we finally reached the outskirts of Jasper. Even though it was a desert, it had mesas and other rock formations that I liked. We then pulled into town and found our house; it was a two-story house with a basement. The architecture was similar to the house that we had just left in Cali. I stopped my Buell and shut off the engine. I dismounted and took my helmet off, then looked around the neighborhood. There were mostly one-story houses, but there were still a fair share of two story homes.

Two hours later, all of our things had been moved in and unpacked. There were four and a half bathrooms, six bedrooms, and both the living room and dining room were next to the kitchen, which was by the back door. My room was down in the basement and I had my own bathroom. I had my bed facing north, and had my nightstand/bookshelf on the beds right side. I had just finished unpacking when Ben and Jacen came down. I was in the process of putting sheets on my bed when they knocked on my door. "Come on in." I said loudly.

My door opened and my two younger brothers walked in. "Hey Luke, how ya doin?" Ben asked me.

"I'm doing alright, wished we could've stayed in Cali, but the house here isn't so bad." I replied "How bout the two of you?"

"Alright, thinking the same as you." Jacen answered.

"I like it here personally." Ben said.

Jacen and I looked at Ben with amused looks and Ben only shrugged.

"Do you guys have a strange sense of déjà vu?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Jacen asked.

"Don't you feel like you've been here before?"

"Well now that you mentioned it, I do kinda feel that I've been here." Ben said in a voice sounding like he was trying to figure out a puzzle.

"I feel like something big happened here, and that the three of us were a part of it." Jacen said.

"Odd isn't it?" I said, "I feel like I did… never mind I just lost that thought. School starts in a week so we might as well get ready."

Ben and Jacen nodded and they walked out of my room leaving me to my thoughts. I finished putting sheets on my bed and sat down on it. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something major that had happened here, and that it was an odd experience. It felt like I had been here in a past life, which I believed was crazy, so why did I feel like I had done something terrible?

**Authors Note**

**I do not own the lyrics to 'Till I Collapse, those belong to Eminem. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

Old School or New School?

The new school year was just around the corner. I had my schedule and all of my school supplies along with it. I had two AP (advanced placement) courses, one gym class, a study hall, German 4, and senior release. My AP classes were AP Lit and Comp, and AP Bio. I had met all the other curriculum requirements at my old school in Cali and I technically only needed one and a half credits to graduate.

The dreaded Monday came and my brothers and I were forced to go to school once more. On the bright side of that, Jacen and I only had a year left! On the down side, we still had a year to go. I woke up in the morning and did what I considered my morning routine. I'd get onto the floor and do one hundred push-ups, one hundred crunches, and one hundred dips off my bed. After I finished that, I got into the shower and let the cool water wake me up some more, then I gradually increased the water temp, so that I could wash the sweat and germs off more efficiently.

After I had finished showering, I shaved and applied deodorant. I put on jeans, socks and a black shirt with an eagle on the front. I stepped out of my bathroom and grabbed my leather jacket and my motorcycle helmet as I walked up the stairs. My dad was sitting in the kitchen reading the newspaper and drinking some coffee. He didn't even look up at me and said "Hey, son."

"Hey, dad. How are you?" I asked.

My dad shrugged and took a drink of coffee and there was awkward silence for roughly a minute. "You're mom is upset that you're still looking into the military. She's upset that both you and Jacen are." he said.

"What else would I want to do? I've wanted to see the world and feel like I'm somebody." I said, "I want to help those that cannot help themselves."

"I know you do." my father said gently, "Why are you all ready to go for a ride?"

"I want to get a ride in the desert before school." I answered truthfully.

My dad gave me a nod of approval and said "Just don't be late to school, I'd hate to get a call about you being tardy in the first day of school."

I smiled at my dad and said "Hey, it's me. What could happen?"

My father looked at me with a raised eyebrow and an amused look in his face, and then smiled. We both started to laugh and I don't even know why, but we did. I grabbed my backpack from the floor and took my keys off the key hanger and exited the house. I walked over to the garage as I put on my leather jacket. I unlocked the garage and opened the big garage door. As the big garage door opened, I put on my helmet and mounted my bike. After the garage door had opened all the way, I backed the bike out of the garage and was about to dismount when the garage door started to close.

Confused, I looked up and saw Jacen standing inside the garage with a slight smile on his face. I nodded to my twin and he nodded back at me. I started the engine and backed the rest of the way out of the driveway. I got onto the street and headed for the highway, it was going to be a nice ride.

**Jacen's POV**

I had woken to the sound of my alarm clock at around 7:00 am, and I groggily waddled downstairs to the kitchen, just as Luke was walking out the door. My dad looked up from the paper he was reading and raised an eyebrow at my disheveled appearance. I shrugged and went outside just to see Luke getting the Buell out of the garage. I walked into the garage and just in time, I shut the garage door and Luke looked up and nodded to me, I nodded back and Luke rode off. I went back inside and up to my room's bathroom. I closed the bedroom and bathroom door and got out of my pajamas and into the shower. I showered for ten minutes and got out and shaved my face, except for my chin where I was growing a goatee.

Satisfied with my appearance, I brushed my teeth and got dressed, similar to how Luke had dressed. The difference was that I was wearing black shorts, a ring on my right ring finger, and a red shirt from American Eagle. I looked at the ring on my finger and I smiled at the memory the ring invoked everytime I saw it, it was of me and Luke three years ago playing football in the backyard. That was all, nothing special about the memory but it had been one of the last times that Luke and I had actually spent time together. I frowned at that last thought that had passed through my mind, Luke had definitely become distant after that accident. I sighed and grabbed my backpack off the floor in my bedroom and headed back downstairs. Ben was in the hallway waiting for me, I was his ride until he got a car of his own. Ben looked like Luke in someways, and even acted like he did. Ben's medium length brown hair was brushed to the side permanently it seemed, and he had piercing hazel eyes. Ben was dressed in jeans and a black shirt with his backpack slung over his right shoulder.

"Ready?" Ben asked me.

"Yeah, let's go." I said.

Our drive to school was completely silent, Ben didn't talk, and I didn't want to talk. We pulled into a parking spot in front of the school, and I shut the engine off. Ben and I grabbed our backpacks from behind the seats and got out of the Camaro. Just as we got out, Luke pulled into a spot next to us, on my right to be precise, and he shut off his bikes engine, and put the kickstand up. He dismounted and took his helmet off. We looked at each other and nodded once again before heading off into the school.

**Luke's POV**

The school day went without a hitch or any signs of trouble. As the last class period ended I collected my things and went towards my locker. I was almost there when I saw this redhead and a gang of three others shoving a freshman around and I saw the freshman's things strewn across the ground. The redhead pushed the freshman into the lockers and drew back his right arm as if he was going to hit the kid. I grabbed the arm and said, "You must really think you're tough."

The gang and their ringleader, the redhead, turned around and looked at me in astonishment. "Mind your own damn buisness." the redhead snapped.

I raised an eyebrow and said in a steady voice that had just an edge of being pissed off, "Who are you to order me around, gingey?"

The ginger narrowed his eyes and looked at me with contempt. "Let's go." he said to the other kids. They let the freshman go and headed away from me in a very pissed off manner.

"Thanks for helping me." the freshman said.

"No problem." I replied and walked away to my locker. I got my helmet and jacket out of it and closed it once again. I took off my backpack and put on my leather jacket, then the backpack back over. I walked out of the school and saw the redhead and his gang bullying another kid. They had created a circle and the kid couldn't escape. They were laughing at the kid and slowly closing the noose around the kid. All the other students were standing there watching, and that made me sick. I hefted my helmet and aimed carefully at the redhead, threw the helmet and waited for a split second. My helmet hit its target and the redhead stumbled.

Everyone turned and looked at me stunned, and the kid took his opportunity and escaped. The redhead looked at me in pure anger and advanced towards me, "Who do you think you are?" he said angrily.

"Someone who knows what's right and what isn't idiotic." I replied calmly.

"You're the new kid aren't you?" he asked.

"So what? You only pick on freshman, where I come from you would have been beaten to a bloody pulp if you were seen doing that."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I don't think we understand each other gingey." I growled "Back off of those that aren't as strong as you."

"Or what, you'll fight me?" the ginger laughed.

"No, you're not worth my time." I said.

The ginger stopped laughing and gave me a death glare, and threw my helmet at me as hard as he could. I caught it and nodded my thanks and started walking past him. He swung at me and I stopped and moved my helmet to where he was aiming and he punched the helmet. I swung my right leg out and took the redheads feet out from underneath him and watched as he hit the dirt. He grunted as he hit the ground and I looked down at him and shook my head sadly. "Trying to hit me from behind, I've never seen such a cowardly tactic." I said as I turned around and put my helmet on. I got on my bike and started it. I backed my way out of the parking space and rode home.

I got home and shut the bike off, dismounted, and headed inside. I took my helmet off and shook my head. I headed down into the basement, which was my domain, and went into my room. I hung the leather jacket up on a hanger and collapsed on my bed. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

I was at school the next day, and I found out the redheads name, Vince, and he was steering clear of me. In the middle of the day, I was called to the principles office. I got there and Ben and Jacen were sitting there as well. The principle looked up from his desk and said, "Aw, the final Mr. Porter. Please, sit down."

I sat down next to Ben and asked, "What are we here for, sir?"

"It is my understanding that your father was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan last night?" the principle asked.

"That's correct." I said, "But what does that have to do with us?"

"I'm sorry to inform you three, your father was killed in action this morning at 1:00, we just got the call from your mother. Your father's body will be brought back by tomorrow." the principle said sadly.

I couldn't speak, I couldn't even think, this was not happening! I looked over at Ben and Jacen, who both were as shocked and sad as I was, and I closed my eyes. I felt tears slide down my face and said shakily, "Thanks for informing us, could we go home?"

"Yes, I've dismissed you three from school for the next three days." the principle said.

The three of us stood up and exited the principle's office and walked outside. I took my keys out of my pocket and got on my Buell, Jacen and Ben got into the Camaro. We got home and all sat in the living room and our mom got in and sat down on the couch. All for of us sat on the couch and hugged each other, crying and mourning our loss. The day finished and we all retired to our own rooms to mourn by ourselves.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

Worst Days are Behind Us

It was the day of my dads funeral, and I was going to drive my mom to the graveyard, I didn't trust her driving herself quite yet. The funeral was extremely sad, but I'm not going to waste time describing it to you, the burial was what was the worst.

We arrived at Jasper Graveyard and I pulled next to the lot that we had purchased for my father, it was a nice little grove surrounded by weeping willow trees. The casket was there already and the grave was already dug. Jacen and Ben were behind me, and I nudged my mom. She looked at me with glassy eyes that saw nothing and I said gently, "We're here mom."

My mom nodded and got out of the Chevy Avalanche. I got out as well as we went to our spots. Four Army officers stood in uniform with their rifles out and at attention. The colonol was standing in front of my fathers casket and three more army officers came with an American flag. They covered the casket with the flag and saluted. The colonol started going through roll call, and when he got to my fathers name, he stopped looked around, and said my fathers name again, "Markus Porter." Silence "Markus Porter." Silence again, "Absent, fire!"

The four officers with rifles turned aimed up, and fired. I felt tears rolling down my face as the military personnel saluted my fathers casket and it was lowered into the ground. I was called up, because my mother wasn't feeling up to it, and recieved my fathers metals in a box. My father had two Purple Hearts, a Silver Star, and now a Medal of Honor. I accepted the medals with a heavy heart, and thanked the colonel. I sat back down and waited for the service to be concluded.

Three hours later, I was sitting in my room reading when I got one of the biggest headaches I've ever had. I clutched my head and I saw flashes of two Dodge Vipers, a semi truck, a SUV, a Camaro, an ambulance, and a motorcycle. I saw flashes of my siblings and of myself, but I couldn't see what we were doing. I heard a deep voice explaining things to my siblings and me, things started to become more fuzzy and then as suddenly as the headache came on, it stopped. I unclutched my head and realized that I had broken into a cold sweat. "What the hell is wrong with me?" I asked myself.

A week passed since my father's funeral and I wasn't as sad as I had been before, I was still sad yes, but I couldn't let that bring me down. I was doing well in school and I learned that my cousin, Jack Darby, and my aunt, June, lived here. I got small headaches when I realized that but I couldn't figure out why, out of all the flashes that I had gotten from my brain, the one with a deep voice scared me the most, only because I had no idea what else it could signify. The more I tried to focus on the images, the more I felt them slip away. I knew that my brothers were having the same problem as I was because I could see the distant look in their eyes that I'm sure I had when I thought about the images.

It was now Saturday and I had finished my homework and was reading an article from the Internet about two meteors crashing outside Jasper in the desert. The Feds were keeping things quiet, which I didn't understand, and refused to allow reporters in to the site. I finished the article and went upstairs into the living room. I saw my mom talking with an African American male in his mid thirties early fourties. The man was wearing a suit and a tie that hung loosely around his neck, not to mention he had a beer gut of some sort. They both stopped talking once they noticed me and I grimaced as a flashing image of the guy appeared in my eyes, then disappeared.

"Hello, I'm Special Agent William Fowler." the man said.

"Hey." I replied. I closed my eyes and frowned as the name brought another image of the man.

"Are you alright young man?" Fowler asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah yeah, I'm alright just a bit of a headache." I said distractedly.

"I'm aware that you have just turned eighteen, and I am here to tell you that you aren't accepted into the Navy academy at Annapolis."

"Oh, we'll thanks for coming and ruining my day." I muttered bitterly.

"But it was only because the government thinks you'd best serve if you were in my agency." Fowler said quickly.

I frowned, "What agency?"

"It's called Sector 8." Fowler answered.

Another burst of pain courses through my brain when Fowler said that. I winced and shook my head. "Are you alright Luke?" my mother asked in concern.

"Yeah, it's just a headache. It should go away soon." I said, I turned my attention back to Fowler, "What would I be doing in Sector 8?"

"Basically what you would've done in the Navy, just think of it as something like the G.I. Joe's, the best of the best if you will."

"This sounds made up." I said unbelieving.

"Have your doubts if you must, but we do exist."

"I'm going for a ride." I told my mom.

"Be safe." she pleaded.

"Always mom, always." I said with a small smile. I grabbed my leather jacket and helmet from by the door and went outside to my bike. I put on the jacket and the helmet and mounted my Buell. I started the engine and backed out of the driveway and rode towards the highway. I got on the highway and went this way and that, just to ride. I didn't care where I was going, I just wanted to be alone and ride. I found myself surrounded by mesas and these gigantic rock structures in the desert. It was a lonely rode, no traffic behind me or approaching. I pulled over to the side of the road and shut the bike down, I wanted to just take all of this in. I put the kickstand down and dismounted. I took my helmet off and set it on the seat. I walked around and I winced as more flashes went through my mind.

A red Aston Martin zoomed past me followed by a yellow and black Camaro. The Camaro seemed familiar to me, and I clutched my head in agony as more flashes of things and people swirled through my mind. I knelt on the ground and wanted to scream to the world, but I didn't. The images passed and I stood up, sticky with sweat. I put my helmet back on and started my motorcycle again. I went back on the road and saw black cars with purple tinted windshields appear behind me. I thought it strange that the windshields would be tinted like that and mentally shrugged it off. I rode on for a couple more minutes, until I heard a whooshing sound and then the feeling of weightlessness. I looked down and time seemed to slow, I was ten feet in the air, and falling. I rolled just as I hit the ground and tried to get on my feet, but the ground rushed up to meet me. I took my helmet off and shook my head to clear the stars. I rolled onto my stomach and pushed myself onto my hands and knees. "Bloody hell," I said to myself out loud, "What the hell just happened?!"

I heard the sound of metal crashing against metal and the sound of some sort of fire fight. Against better judgement, I stood myself up and turned around. What I saw caused my jaw to drop…Giant metal robots were fighting right before my eyes. There were four of them. One had an all black body with some highlights of red in there, and had crossed sword sheathes on it's back. Next to the black and red one was a similar looking one, but instead of red there was yellow. The other two were identical, they were all black or a really dark purple, and they had a V shaped visor that was red. "This isn't real, this can't be real!" I thought.

My thoughts were interrupted when the red and black robot unsheathed its swords and chopped one of the black ones head off. Something blue and a liquid shot out of the decapitated robots body. I looked around and found my motorcycle lying three feet away from me. I slowly walked over to it and rolled it over and got on it. I completely left my helmet lying on the ground and started the motorcycle. "Hey stop! We need to talk!" I heard a male voice shout out to me.

"Screw that." I muttered and I gunned it out of there. I got into town and got home. I shut the engine down and dismounted the bike. I looked at it and all it had was a couple of dents and scratches. I went inside and down to my room. My headaches were getting worse and worse as time passed.

It was Monday and I just finished school. I walked out of the building and started walking to my Buell. I had fixed it yesterday, and my mom didn't like the fact that I had lost my helmet. Ah just told me to be extra careful. I had explained to my mom that a car crashed into me and that I had taken my helmet off when I came too. I said that a fight had started and I just wanted to get out of there, which isn't that far from the truth. I noticed someone standing by my Buell, Agent Fowler. I groaned as an image flashed once more of some demon's past. I blinked the image away and stopped in front of Fowler. "Can I help you?" I asked trying to be polite.

"I'm here to tell you that your brothers left here an hour ago, so why haven't you gone home?" Fowler asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"I was lifting here after school, trying to stay in shape." I replied.

"I've also come to tell you that someone had requested a meeting with you, and it'd be wise to accept his invitation."

"Not interested." I said as I got on my Buell.

"Alright, I'll tell him that you've declined his request."

"Most appreciated." I said as I started the motorcycle. I backed out of my parking space and headed home.

I got home and saw I'd be the only one there. I sighed and shut my bike off. I called Jacen and he said that he was out for a drive, and Ben was looking at getting a car with mom. I thanked him and hung up. I went inside the house and sat down on the couch. I cocked my head to the side when I heard the sound of two cars pulling into the driveway. I looked out the window and I dropped my phone in shock, there were two Dodge Vipers colored exactly like the two robots that I had seen fighting the other ones. I gulped and bent down and picked up my phone. I went to the back door and hopped the fence that was in the backyard and walked normally down the sidewalk. I heard the sound of the highway and I shook my head, why was I so paranoid? I kept walking until I reached the highway, then turned around. No way…this was insane! The cars had followed me. They were sitting on the road about three blocks in front of my now. I lost it and ran as fast as I could. I ran into a side street and kept running until I hit a dead end. I cursed and turned around only to find one Viper there, it was the black and red one. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" I kept muttering to myself. There wasn't another way out of here.

"Relax, I just want to talk to you." a male voice that sounded like a teenagers, kind of like my own voice except deeper.

"Look, I don't want any trouble, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving now." I said.

"Look kid, there's something you don't understand." the car said.

"I'm crazy, I'm talking to a frickin car!" I laughed. I shook my head and looked away. When I looked back, the car was still there. "Damn, your real!"

"Of course, since you know of my existence I need you to come with me."

"I–I don't think so." I said.

"My commander wanted to meet you after school today and explain to you what you saw, I need to take you there."

"And if I refuse?" I challenged.

"You're as good as dead." the car responded.

"I'll take my chances." I said as I walked passed the car, "I have enough troubles that I need to take care of."

I walked home and periodically looked over my shoulder to make sure that my stalker a weren't following me, and to my surprise they weren't. I got back home and was by myself for another ten minutes. My mom and Ben came home first, Ben didn't get a car, and she made dinner. Jacen got home right before dinner was finished and we all ate together. After dinner I did the dishes and went to my room. I wasn't sure about those two cars yet, but I didn't want to see them again. I was sure that it was just a coincidence that I had seen them as robots, but I wasn't ready to bet on it. I layed down on my bed and closed my eyes, I wasn't prepared for the visit that I'd be getting next.

**Authors Note**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing Guest: Princess of Dreams.**

**Please R&R **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

Dreaming Big

I was pretty sure that this was a dream, I mean what place on earth is just blue and void of any life? But for being a dream, I was perfectly aware of my surroundings in the dream. "Hello?" I called out. The echo of my voice was the only thing that answered me.

"Are you displeased?" a deep voice asked me.

"Who are you?"

"One that gave you and your siblings a second chance." the deep voice replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not surprised that you do not remember, but you fell to your own anger and aggression. Jacen saved you from it and you both died. I took pity on the two of you and offered you a second chance. You asked that Ben be included in the conversation as well, so he was." my answer was, "All three of you agreed to be reborn and have no recollection of what you had done in your past life. I reset your lives and changed some things so that you'd have a family."

"Then why the headaches? Will those ever go away?"

"The headaches I did not anticipate for the three of you to have, for that I am sorry."

"You said that you reset our lives, are you God or something?"

There was chuckling and the voice responded, "In a way I am a god, just not the god you think I am."

"Alright, but why bring me here now if you reset my life and those of my brothers? Why bring my attention back to my past life?"

"Because I noticed that your headaches were getting more intense, you were starting to become aware that you had maybe done something, I wanted to clear things for you."

"Have you contacted my brothers?"

"Little one, little one, be at peace. All will be revealed in time."

"Could you take away the images?"

"If you wish for me to take away the suppressed memories from your past life, I will do as you ask."

"Could you please?"

"For a price."

"Of course," I muttered under my breath then said louder, "What would you require me to do?"

"Help out my followers if you can and do not fall into the same trap and void that you fell into last time."

"How can I know it I've fallen into the same trap or not? I don't even remember what I did!"

"At the request of you and your brothers, I gave you threw powers, one of your choosing, and two of my choice. You each received the same powers and I do not wish for those powers to become corrupted."

"I understand, I think. But if one of these suppressed memories is real, I'll be involved in a war."

"You will find your time for war, and you will be able to choose if you'll be involved or not."

"Ok, I get it, you love talking in riddles. What powers do we have?"

"You'll have to figure that out by yourself. If you ever want those memories back, they will come back. They won't come back as headaches or flashes of images, they'll be true memories again, but they'll seem like memories from a dream, not complete, not whole."

"I understand." I said solemnly.

"Good, you'll wake up, and have no recollection of this dream."

"I…"

"Luke, wake up you're going to be late for school!" I heard my mom shout.

My eyes snapped open and I looked at my clock, it was 07:10, I moaned, I had slept in! "Alright mom, I'm up I'll be upstairs in a couple of minutes." I called back.

I got out of bed and put on jeans and a red shirt. I took a fresh pair of socks out from my dresser and put then on. I rushed upstairs and put on my sneakers and my leather jacket. I gave my mom a goodbye hug and took my backpack off the floor. I shrugged my backpack on and got onto my motorcycle. The events of the day before still were in my mind, I just hoped that I wouldn't be followed home again today.

I got to the school just as the warning bell rang. I cursed my tardiness, but I did make it to first hour before the school bell rang. The school day went without a hitch, but I after school I was drawn to Vince and his gang picking on another kid. I squinted and saw that it was Rafael Esquivel, seventh grader taking high school classes because he was so smart, they were forming their classical noose. "You've got to be joking." I muttered. I walked out of the school and to the big oak tree that Vince and his gang had forced Rafael to. "Oi!" I said loudly as I approached from behind.

The gang turned around and Vince sneered at me. "What do you want Porter?" Vince said uncaringly.

"For you to grow the fuck up!" I growled, "All you do is pick on others like no tomorrow, you like that power, you like that control, and I'm down right sick of seeing it happen on a weekly basis. Now back off."

"Why should I? Feel all tough do ya? Your daddy was nothing special if he was stupid enough to get killed in a war." Vince and his friends laughed at that, they laughed and the didn't notice me setting down my helmet, backpack, and my jacket.

I cracked my knuckles and Vince and his gang stopped laughing. "Bring it on you piece of shit." I whispered.

"Watch the punk." Vince ordered his "friends" and advanced towards me, "This is going to be fun."

I smiled slyly, Vince had no clue that I knew how to do five different styles of martial arts, and that I was a third degree black belt in all five. "So you wanna fight then?" I asked as Vince approached and stopped three paces away from me and took a pathetic fighting stance. "So be it."

Vince swung at me and I sidestepped the blow and Vince rolled to the ground. "Wow, you have to be better than that!" I taunted "A two year old has more balance than that."

Vince rolled to his feet angrily and started throwing random punches at me, I dodged them all while taunting him. Get inside his head and make him angry, it'll make him reckless. Those were what my dad had always told me, make them unbalanced. Finally, I decided that I had done enough dancing and when Vince punched at my face, I caught his fist. Vince looked shocked and I squeezed his hand as I bent the wrist back. I shoved the twerp away from me and beckoned him to attack. Vince roared as he charged me and I blocked his attacks and counterattacked with three rapid palm strikes to his torso. Vince stumbled back and I took a lazy stance to lull Vince to sleep. Vince took the bait and as he attacked, I jumped in the air, twisted my body in midair, and kicked Vince in the head. He stumbled again and I advanced without pity, I threw a haymaker with my weaker arm, my left, and it connected right on Vince's nose. Blood shot out of his nose and I could feel the cartilage snap and the bone break. I stepped back as Vince's eyes crossed and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

I turned my attention back to the other three that were holding Rafael and I said threateningly "You wanna suffer the same fate?" the three shook their heads, "Then let the kid go!" The three of then let Rafael go and took of running. The kid was looking at me with a look of pure shock and amazement, his jaw practically touched the ground. "You alright?" I asked him as I crouched in front of him.

"Ye-yes." Rafael said.

"Good, didn't want those jerks to hurt ya, you better get moving kid." I said as I stood back up and collected my things from the ground. I put my jacket and helmet on and walked to my Buell. I mounted it and started the engine. With a sigh, I rode home. I got home and did my normal routine for after school home time. I had finished all my homework, and was reading Eldest by Christopher Paolini when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. "Come in." I said.

The door opened and Jacen walked in and he was frowning. "Really, Luke?" he asked. I saw in his hand that he was holding his phone.

"What?"

"You know what! Why the hell did you get in a fight?" Jacen exclaimed, he showed me a video of the "fight" if you even want to call it one.

"Did you expect me to just let Vince and his gang beat Rafael to a bloody pulp?" I asked.

"No it's just…" Jacen started.

"You would've done the same if you were me, we both know it." I cut him off.

"You're right, as usual." Jacen conceded.

"There's another reason that you came down here, isn't there?" I asked.

"I keep having these dreams Luke, I keep seeing things that I can't explain in them, but they all seem so familiar." Jacen breathed as he sat down on my bed, "I can't make heads or tails of it, then when I see certain people I get headaches. You were experiencing something like this weren't you?" I nodded, "How did yours stop, or are you still getting them?"

"I honestly don't know how they stopped, but they stopped this morning." I said, "I don't get how they could've just stopped like that, but if you ever want to go for a ride and clear your head, go ahead and take my Buell."

"I'll take you up on that, mind if I take it now?"

"Go right ahead, just use your own riding gear."

"Thanks Luke, I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"See you when you get back."

**Jacen's POV**

I took Luke right up on his offer as soon as he uttered it. We both had motorcycle license's, I just preferred driving over riding. I started Luke's Buell and without knowing it, followed the same route as Luke had on Saturday. I rode onto the highway and noticed I was getting followed by a red Aston Martin. I frowned and got off the highway onto the nearest exit, the Aston Martin followed me. I pulled over on a the side of the road and the Aston Martin stopped behind me. Now I was really concerned, I shut the Buell down and dismounted. I took my helmet off and the Aston Martin did something that I never thought would happen in my entire life, it transformed into this robot. My eyeds widened as the robots red eyes looked down on me. "So you're the one I've been looking for." it said.

"Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"Don't mess with me, boy. I saw you three days ago with two Autobots." it spat.

"What's an Autobot?" I shouted at it, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Scrap!" the robot said, "You're telling the truth." It reached for something on its back and it looked like a gigantic robot version of a cattle prod.

"Shit!" I cursed as I hopped back onto Luke's Buell and started it. I gunned it and was going about 120 mph when I saw a yellow and black Dodge Viper speed past me. Curious, I slowed down and stopped. I turned the bike around and was shocked when the Viper transformed into a robot too. This robot however, I picked up a different vibe. It seemed protective. It had a black body and yellow highlights. It also had two crossed swords on its back. I watched in awe as the two titans fought. The red one transformed back into its alternative mode of transportation and sped off, the Viper turned around and approached me.

I stayed put, not knowing whether to get out of there or trust my instincts. The robot knelt in front of me and stared at me with electric blue eyes. "Umm, hi?" I ventured.

The robot blinked in surprise and said, "Hello. Could you come with me please? Your safety is in danger." The voice reminded me of my own and Luke's, but deeper and with more of an electric ring to it.

"What did I just see?" I asked.

"Knockout, a Decepticon."

"That would make you…"

"An Autobot."

"Great, I'm caught in a robot grudge match." I groaned.

"Just please come with me."

"How bout I follow."

"Fine but you're not following me to base." the robot touched its ear? and communicated with someone. Behind the robot, a swirling green portal opened.

My mouth dropped in shock and the robot turned around to go through, then looked back at me with a slight smile and asked, "Coming?"

I merely nodded and dismounted the Buell. I walked with it behind the gigantic being. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but I sure as heck wanted to find out.

**Authors Note:**

**Thank you to Guest: Princess of Dreams, Foxbear, and Golden Eagle 603 for reviewing.**

**Please R&R**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V

All's Explained…I Think

I don't know why I trusted a transforming robot enough to follow him, but I did. There were somethings that I wanted answers to, that red Aston Martin thought I was somebody else, but who? And if I wasn't the person it was looking for were they still in danger?

"Welcome to base." the robot said.

I stared in amazement at the area around me. The place was huge! I looked around and saw a gigantic computer of some sort, and next to that was another…what where they called again? Oh yeah, an Autobot. This Autobot was orange and white. It had what looked like lines that you'd see on a heart rate monitor on its arms. It groaned when it saw me and said, "Another one! Really Nightblaze we want to keep humans out of this war!"

"Easy Ratchet." a deep baritone voice said.

I turned and looked at the source, it was a blue and red Autobot and it was a good deal taller than the others. It knelt in front of me and studied me for a while with its electric blue eyes. "I am Optimus Prime, commander of the Autobots."

"Jacen Porter, citizen of the United States." I replied, "May I ask why I am here?"

"It seems that the Decepticons believe that you are a threat of some type, although they mistook you for another it seems. Do you have a brother by any chance?" Optimus asked.

"I-I, oh screw it, yeah I do, I have two brothers." I replied.

"A twin?"

"You're freaking me out, how would you know that I have a twin brother?"

"On Saturday, someone that looks like you witnessed a fight between two of my soldiers, and two Decepticons after the Decepticons attacked him."

"Why would the Decepticons attack my brother?"

"Your motorcycle, from a distance it looks like a soldier under my command. They must have thought that your brother riding the motorcycle was her, and attacked. Once they realized their mistake they tried to terminate him, but Nightblaze and his twin Nightshade intercepted them. Your brother got out of the area and refused to come to the base." Optimus explained.

"Who made you?" I asked curiously:

"We aren't regular robots, we are from a different planet. Our home is Cybertron, it was destroyed and left void of life because of a millennium long civil war. We came to earth, and we were allowed to remain here to keep away the Decepticon threat."

"Alright, how many members of your team are there?" I asked curious.

"There are currently eight Autobots under my command here on this planet. That's Ratchet our medic, Nightblaze is behind you."

"Can I go now? I think I understand the situation."

"Not without a guardian." Optimus said.

"Do I really have to have a baby sitter?"

"Yes, the Decepticons know of your existence, they'll be looking for you. You need a guardian that can take care of any Decepticon sent to capture or kill you."

"That makes the decision easier." I conceded.

"Nightblaze if you wouldn't mind." Optimus said.

"Yes, sir." Nightblaze replied with a nod.

"I need to get home, like now."

"We'll give you a ground bridge right outside Jasper, so that you can ride home. Nightblaze will follow."

"Isn't a Dodge Viper a little inconspicuous?"

"Do you have something else in mind?" Nightblaze asked me.

I smiled up to him and said, "Definitely, I have a black Camaro that belongs to me, could you somehow change into that?"

"No, I like my alt form, I'll keep an eye on you from a distance."

"Fair enough."

Two hours later I was once again talking to Luke, this time I kept asking him about school, mainly about the fight. Luke kept dodging the questions and finally Luke just stared at me and said point blank, "If that's all your going to ask me about, get the hell out of my room."

I stood up off of his bed and raised my hands in defeat, and left the room. I wanted to ask him about the Autobots, but I didn't know how he'd react to that.

**Luke's POV**

I was pretty sure that Jacen was hiding something from me. I could see it in his eyes. Yes he kept asking me about the beating I'd given Vince, but there was a purpose behind those questions, like he was asking encrypted questions through the Vince questions.

I'll confront him tomorrow, I decided.

The next day at school I saw Vince in the hallway and he didn't even look me in the eye. The school day came and went. After school I saw Jacen give the keys to the Camaro over to Ben. Curious, I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. Jacen turned around and looked at me quizzically.

"Why are you giving the keys to Ben?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm going with a friend." Jacen replied.

As Jacen said that, one of my stalker friends showed up, the yellow and black Dodge Viper. "Shit." I cursed.

"What?" Jacen asked confused. He turned around and saw the Viper, "My ride's here."

Jacen turned to leave and I grabbed his arm and pulled him into me, "Are you crazy!? Do you know what that is?!" I whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah, my ride. Unless there's something you know that you aren't telling me."

"How did you meet them?" I questioned.

"I was confused with my dear, sweet, twin brother on a Buell. The Decepticons mistook me for you and came to capture you, which was me."

"The what?"

"Oh, I forgot, you didn't go with them when you were invited."

I narrowed my eyes at my twin and said "I didn't go because I saw the fighting, I didn't want to be caught in a crossfire! You obviously didn't care to think this through, if these Decepticons find you and you die, did you even stop and think how that would affect the family!? We already lost dad, we don't want to lose you as well!"

"I went with because I saw it as the most wise decision at the moment! You ran from them, they explained that they're aliens fighting a war!"

"Even better for me not to get involved! Dad died in a war, do you really want to get involved in a cause that does not belong to you!?"

"Forget it, Luke." Jacen said "You chose your path, and I chose mine. Let's leave it at that." Jacen turned around and walked into the waiting Dodge and it drove away.

I watched as it left and felt a sick feeling in my stomach. "Fine, you wanna get yourself killed go ahead." I whispered.

I walked over to my Buell and heard a car stop behind me. I turned around and saw a red Aston Martin. The driverside window rolled down and I was looking at a guy dressed as a doctor. "Can I help you?" I asked.

"Actually, you can." he replied.

I felt a tingling sensation and then nothing.

I woke up suspended in the air by chains. I groggily blinked and looked around. Frowning in confusion, I just looked around. All I saw was a floor some odd feet below me. "Great." I muttered.

A door opened and two robots walked in, one was the same color as the Aston Martin, and the other was all gray and had a cannon attatched to its right arm. The two stopped in front of me and the gray one spoke, "Hello there." the voice contained a light edge of evilness to it.

"Hey, mind telling me why I'm here?" I asked.

"You're here because there is something odd about you, fleshling." the gray one responded.

"I'm a freak, hmm, tell me something I don't know about myself." I said sarcastically.

"So you know what you contain?"

"I have no clue! God, you're dense."

The gray robot narrowed its eyes at me and said menacingly, "You are going to be a vital piece of ours to take control of this pathetic rock."

"I doubt that." I said as I looked the robot in the eyes, "I highly doubt that."

The gray robot smiled evilly and said, "Oh, I think we can change your mind."

"We'll see."

The gray robot left leaving me with my kidnapper. "My, my you're a stubborn one." it said.

"Maybe it'd help if I knew what you two crazies are talking about." I said as if I was talking to a preschooler.

"You have an unusual energy reading about you, fleshy."

"Umm, ok?"

"You don't even know what we are do you?"

"Aliens I'm guessing."

"Very good, I'm what you would consider–"

"An asshole?" I interrupted.

The robot looked at me with a bit of amusement and a bit of anger. "No, a Decepticon. The name's Knockout."

"That's nice to know. How do you expect me to serve your cause?" I asked, "Do you honestly think I'd betray my own people, my own race, my own family?"

"Some humans would, you'd be surprised at how easily you humans are manipulated, and how selfish you are." Knockout said, "As for how you can serve us, Lord Megatron could tell you."

"Who's that jerk?" I asked.

"The one that was in here with me. And how dare you insult Lord Megatron that way!" Knockout bellowed in a rage.

"My apologies, my apologies. I didn't mean to say such a pitiful insult, I just didn't want to say a bigger one." I said with a playful smile.

The gray robot walked back in and it looked at me with contempt. "Well Knockout, has it said anything of importance?"

"No, my Lord."

"I'm right here in the room hanging from the ceiling, why don't cha just ask me?" I asked.

"Did you say something fleshling?" the gray one asked.

"Nope, I only said that I'd feel better if I could be on the floor." I said with a glint in my eye, "What did ya say your name was? Lord Dipshit?"

The gray one looked at me with displeasure and anger and Knockout appeared shocked. "That's Lord Megatron to you!" the gray one spat.

"Got it, how do you plan to use me?"

"We plan to harvest your energy and use it as a power source." Megatron said.

"Good luck, I don't even know what my power source is, or how to use it."

"Is he telling the truth, Knockout?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Well then, we'll just have to try and tap it out of you." Megatron sneered, "Knockout, run some diagnostics in this specimen."

"Yes, my Lord Megatron." Knockout said.

Megatron left the room and I looked at Knockout and asked, "What now? Will you torture me, kill me, what?"

"I'm just going to run some tests, that's all fleshling." Knockout replied.

He took his finger and moved back the sleeve of my leather jacket on my right arm. He then drew it across my right arm and drew blood. I didn't wince or give any type of reaction, I knew that he wanted one, but I wasn't going to give it to him. Knockout took his blood smeared finger and brought my blood to some alien microscope. I had to figure out a way to get the hell out of here. No ideas came to me. A drop to the floor would certainly break my legs or most likely kill me. Knockout left the room and I decided that I should try something at least to get out of here. I swung myself side to side and felt the chains around my right arm loosen, most likely due to my blood lubricating the chains.

I eventually got my right arm free and I began to work on my left arm. I wasn't getting anywhere fast, so I reached into my leather jackets pocket and took out my knife. I silently cursed, and cut my left arm. I wiggled my newly injured arm around to try and slide out of the chains. I felt it starting to work, and put my knife back in the jacket pocket. I wrapped my left leg around the dangling chains, and tugged my left arm out of the chain holding it. I was now hanging upside down with my left leg being the only thing that kept me from falling to my death.

I reached down and grabbed the chains with my two hands and untangled my left leg. I flipped and was now facing right side up. I worked my way down to the ground and once I got on the ground, I had no idea where to go. I looked desperately around for an exit of some sort, but all I saw was a window. I walked over to it and saw that I was in the air. Cursing, I couldn't think of anything else to do. Duh, my cell phone! I took that out of my jean pocket and saw that I remarkably had service. If Jacen was with those Autobots, they might be able to get me out of here! I sent Jacen a text and he responded immediately, apparantly I had been gone for two days! He then told me that the Autobots would be coming soon. Just after I got that text, the door opened. I cursed again, this time silently, and found a place to hide. I watched as Megatron walked in and I almost laughed at the look of complete disbelief at my "disappearance". Megatron looked around the room and spotted me and my hiding place.

"There you are, you little maggot!" Megatron growled.

"Hey Megadouche." I called out and dodged a purple energy blast.

We kept up our game of cat and mouse, until I felt an excruciating pain below my right elbow. I looked down and saw that it was badly burned. I grimaced and a green swirling vortex appeared. Megatron was just as confused as I was. In desperation, Megatron shot at me once again, I rolled out of the way but I once again felt a searing pain in my right arm. I saw three other robots enter the scene, these had electric blue eyes. One was green and extremely bulky, another was tall and red and blue, the third one was feminine looking and was all black. That was the last things that I saw before the nothingness of unconsciousness.

**Authors Note:**

**Thanks to Guest: Princess of Dreams and Golden Eagle 603 for reviewing.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI

The Awakening

I woke up to a room that reminded me of a hospital. I blinked in confusion, and went to sit up, but a sharp pain went up my right side. I winced and felt a breathing tube down my throat, and saw an IV in my left hand. I went to move my right hand, but it didn't respond, my entire arm below my elbow didn't respond. Kind of freaked out, I started to wiggle around. I had to figure out what was going on!

A door opened and I turned my head towards the sound and saw a white and orange robot. "How are you feeling?" it asked me kindly.

I tried to gesture at the breathing tube and the robot stepped forward and carefully took it out. "Thanks." I said my voice hoarse, "I'm feelin alright I guess. I can't feel my right arm below my elbow."

"That's because, I don't know how to tell you this," the robot said.

"Just spit it out." I prompted.

"You don't have an arm below the humerus."

I was stunned, how was that possible? I then remembered the searing pain in my arm and then blacking out. "Oh" I said kind of depressed.

"I could make a prosthetic for you if you'd like."

"That would be great thank you. What's your name?" I asked.

"Ratchet, yours?" the medic replied.

"Luke." I said.

Ratchet turned and started to walk away, but I stopped him, "Ratchet?" he turned around, "How long have I been here?"

"You've been here awhile. Three days I believe." Ratchet replied.

I whistled and shook my head. "Does my family know what happened to me?"

"Your family?"

"My brother, Jacen, said that he knows you."

"You're Jacen's twin?" I nodded, "That explains a couple of things, but he's the only one in your family that knows you're here."

"Why does my right side of my torso hurt?"

"Shrapnel from Megatron's shot pierced your side, I took the metal out and stitched you up. Unfortunately, a piece of shrapnel hit your right arm below the elbow, and cut it cleanly off." Ratchet explained. He scanned me with a green laser thing and looked at it in surprise and back at me with a confused look on his face. He repeated that two more times before he said, "How is this possible."

"Excuse me, but what's the subject of being possible here?" I asked.

Ratchet looked down at me and said, "Your body should not be healing this quickly, your stitches are undoing themselves, and all the internal damage you suffered, had healed itself!"

"That explains it." I whispered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing important."

"I'll get to work on your prosthetic."

"Thanks, but before you do that could you take out the IV?" I asked.

"Yes, anything else?" Ratchet asked as he took the IV out.

"No, I just want to thank you for saving my life." I said thankfully.

"I wasn't part of the rescue mission, Optimus, Bulkhead, and Shadow were."

"Who?"

"You'll meet them later, just get some rest."

I nodded and lay on the bed and closed my eyes. Sleep took me after a couple of minutes.

I woke up at some later point, and was surprised to see Jacen sitting next to my bed. "Hey, Jace." I said.

Jacen looked at me and gave me a sad smile. "Glad to see you're up. The past three days were hell just having to watch you." Jacen said sadly, "I thought that I'd lose you. The fact that we had an argument and then you disappeared, I thought it was my fault." Jacen choked back tears, then continued "Then getting a text from you saying you were kidnapped, I wanted to help out. The Autobots agreed to help, but once they got to you and brought you back." Jacen shook his head in dismay, "You were a complete wreck. You were soaked in your own blood and non responsive. I thought I lost you for good. Ratchet was able to stabilize you and I began to hope for the best. I didn't want our last conversation to be an argument."

I smiled at Jacen and said, "Don't worry, I didn't want our last conversation to be like that either." We both chuckled.

"Will you listen to the Autobots now?" Jacen asked.

"Yeah, I'll listen." I answered, "I just don't know what my answer will be." I looked my twin in the eyes and asked, "What have you told Ben and mom?"

"Ben found out the truth an hour ago, I don't know how, but he's smarter than we give him credit for. Mom…she doesn't know what to think. She thinks you're dead."

That last sentence hit me the hardest, "Dead?" I said stricken.

Jacen put his hand on my right shoulder and patted it, "I didn't know what to tell her, I said you were in a hospital in California in critical condition, because you were."

"Damn." I whispered hating myself for causing my mom such pain.

"It's not your fault bro." Jacen tried to comfort me.

"In a way it is." I said softly, "If I would've went with the Autobots when they offered it, this wouldn't have happened."

"You don't know that for sure."

"No, I don't but there are a thousand different scenarios that are running through my mind."

Silence sat between us before the door opened and we both turned to look. There was a multitude of people and Autobots. One was Fowler, I was surprised to see Jack our cousin, Rafael was here, the Japanese exchange student Miko, and the last one was Ben. The Autobots were the three from my rescue, my two stalkers, Ratchet, a yellow and black youthful looking bot, and another feminine looking one that was blue and had some pink. I looked over at Jacen and stated "I'm starting to think that our entire family is in on this."

Jacen chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. The group came to a stop at my bed and the red and blue one said, "I am Optimus Prime, commander of the Autobots." Damn that was a deep voice! "This is Bulkhead," gestured to the green bulky one, it was fitting, "This is Bumblebee," the youthful black and yellow one, "You already met Ratchet." I nodded, "You also met the Night twins Nightblaze and Nightshade," the two Dodge vipers, "This is Arcee," the blue and pink female looking one, "and this is Shadow." The all black female looking one.

"Nice to meet you all, in case you didn't know my name is Luke." I said.

Ratchet stepped forward and said, "I have your prosthetic ready, are you sure you want one?"

"Positive." I assured him.

"Would you like it now so that I could run some tests?"

"Go ahead, I have no were to be."

Ratchet stepped towards my bed and knelt down. I saw my metal prosthetic and it was a perfect replica of what my arm had been like. I was a bit skeptical about how the weight would be, I mean it was metal. I winced as Ratchet literally attatched the arm. Something went into the stub and fused to my nerves. Ratchet looked at me and then made a few adjustments. He stood up and looked down at me. "Try moving it." he said.

I pictured moving all my fingers into a fist, and I was surprised that the metal fingers moved. I looked up at Ratchet for further instructions. "Move your fingers in rapid succession." I picture myself doing that, and once again my prosthetic did what I asked. "Three fingers," I did, "Two," once again I did it, "Five, four, three." I finished with that and looked at Ratchet.

"Thank you." I said with a nod of thanks. "How did you make this? The metal feels the same weight as my real arm."

"I used some spare metal that makes up one of us, crafted it into an arm, and calibrated it to try and match your body." Ratchet answered.

"Do I have to take any precautions with it? Like for when I shower?"

"No, it is completely element proof. It takes quite amount of time for water to start to rust us, even if the water is applied twenty-four/seven."

"How long?" Jacen asked curiously.

"Three thousand years, I believe."

"Dang." Jacen said.

"This is odd, why do I still have sensations with this? Isn't it just metal?" I asked.

"It's metal yes, but we're made of metal and we still have sensations. The only sensation that you won't feel is pain. You'll have touch, that's about it. It just will function as a regular arm should."

"Nice," I said "But how come some of you are still looking at my face?"

"Umm," Jacen said, then just held out a mirror.

Confused, I took the mirror and looked at it, I had a scar that was on my right side of my face, and it reminded me of Anakin Skywalker's scar from Revenge of the Sith. It looked exactly like that! "That explains it." I said, "Can I get up off the bed?" I asked Ratchet.

Ratchet nodded his consent and ushered everybody except Ben, Jacen, the Night twins, Shadow, and Optimus Prime. "What's this all about?" I asked.

"You and Ben need to be assigned guardians." Optimus answered.

"Is that completely necessary?" I asked.

"Yes." Optimus said curtly.

"Alright, if that's what you believe is best, I'll respect that." I said.

Optimus nodded and said "Shadow, you'll be with Ben. Nightshade, you'll be with Luke."

"Optimus, sir?" I asked, "Does this mean that I can't ride anymore?"

"No, you'll be able to ride, only if your guardian is following you."

"Thanks." Then to Ratchet, "When are you going to release me from the hospital?"

"Tomorrow." Ratchet said.

"Fair enough." I looked over at Jacen and said, "Tell mom that I'm fine, and that the hospital will release me tomorrow, and that I'll be coming home in a nice car."

"I will." Jacen said.

"Good, but how did you explain your guardians alt mode to mom?"

"I told her that I traded the Camaro for it, which in a matter of perspective it's the truth."

I nodded and looked at what I was wearing in disgust, it was full of blood, scorched, and ripped. I looked over at Jacen and asked, "I don't suppose you brought any clothes for me?"

Jacen smiled and tossed a bundle of clothes at me. I nodded my thanks and looked at the Autobots and asked, "Is there someplace I can take a shower? I feel nasty."

"Nightshade, can you show Luke to the showers? Optimus asked.

"Yes, sir." Nightshade replied.

I got myself off the bed and wobbled a bit as I took a step. "You alright?" Jacen asked in concern.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just haven't walked in almost a week." I assured Jacen, "I'm alright."

I took the bundle of clothes and followed Nightshade out of the room. Nightshade led me down a long hallway and I stumbled again. Nightshade looked down at me with concern and asked kindly, "Would you like me to carry you there?"

"If you wouldn't mind." I said weakly.

I was scooped up and placed on Nightshade's right shoulder. He continued walking and a question sprang into my mind, "Why are you here? I understand that you're aliens, but why earth?" I asked.

"Our planet, Cybertron, is a dead world now." Nightshade said sadly, "Ravaged by centuries of war. We scattered across the universe to find a new home, earth had Energon deposits, and seemed peaceful. Optimus found earth first."

"Oh, I shouldn't have asked." I said regretfully.

"It's alright. But I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"Who's older, you or Jacen?"

"I am by ten minutes. How bout you, who's older you or Nightblaze?"

"I am, but just barely."

"Do you have any other siblings?"

"Arcee is our older sister, and Bumblebee is our younger brother."

"I see."

We stopped and I saw that the showers were human sized. "That's weird, is this some old military base?" I asked.

"Close, it's an old missile silo." Nightshade answered.

"Ah." I said thoughtfully. I walked into the showers and stripped down. The shower was like heaven, considering that I hadn't had one in almost a week. I finished the shower, dried off, and put on the clothes that Jacen had brought me. I put on black shorts, a red T-Shirt, and my class ring. I looked down and my class ring and admired it. It had a golden body to it, with a saphire stone molded in by the gold. I also put on new socks and boxers as well, not doing so would've been just plain wrong! I put on a new pair of black ASICS shoes, size thirteen. I walked out of the shower room and Nightshade was still there waiting.

"Want a ride again, or can you manage?" Nightshade asked.

"I think that I can manage, thank you." I said.

"Alright, try not to fall behind."

"I don't plan on it."

**Ben's POV**

I didn't know what I was thinking when I followed Jacen. But after Luke had disappeared, Jacen started to act strange. I had tried many times asking him about it but, he just kept brushing me off. I got sick of it, and decided to follow Jacen and his new friend. What I found, lets just say it wasn't what I was expecting to find. The Autobots were surprised at first, but just accepted me. Optimus explained why the Autobots were here, and I promised to keep then a secret.

Seeing Luke like I had, that had struck me to the core. It was hard to see him like that. Then his prosthetic, I admit it's awesome, I was shocked to here what Ratchet told me about how close to death Luke had actuall been. When Optimus told me that Shadow would be my guardian, I was alright with that. Shadow and I were alone trying to get to know each other better.

"So, Shadow have any siblings?" I asked.

"None that I like to talk about." Shadow replied softly.

"Oh, sorry I shouldn't have asked." I apologized.

"That's alright kid, how were you supposed to know." Shadow said, "So you're the youngest one?"

"Yeah, two years younger than Luke and Jacen." I told her.

"I too am the youngest."

"Is your older sibling a Decepticon?" I tried.

Shadows expression fell and I instantly regretted asking her that. She sighed and looked down at me, "Yes, my older brother is a Decepticon. I haven't seen him in many years." Shadow said.

"I'm sorry, it must be hard knowing that your brother is on an opposite side in a war."

"I'm actually the one that broke away from the Cons." Shadow said softly.

"Why?"

"Because when I became of age, I saw the atrocities that Megatron was allowing. It disgusted me that even when an Autobot surrendered, he condoned their torture. I defected as soon as I could." Shadow explained.

"Oh, I shouldn't have asked about that either." I said once again regretful.

"It's okay kid, I heard Optimus say that your father was killed in combat, is that true?"

"Yeah, my dad died protecting those under his command. They were retreating, and they got pinned down." I felt myself choke up as I recalled what the military officer had told my family. "My–my dad held the enemy off while his troops escaped."

"I'm sorry to here that." Shadow said. She was about to say something when we both heard the sound of an electric guitar being played. "That doesn't sound like Miko."

"That sounds like Luke playing!" I stood up from where I was sitting and ran to the door. I turned around and looked at Shadow, "Coming?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm comin." she answered.

Together we started to track down the music. We saw Nightshade standing in the main room looking confused. He saw us and stopped us. "Have you seen Luke?" he asked.

"You lost him!?" Shadow exclaimed.

"Yeah, he slipped away from me when we were coming back from the showers! I don't know where he went!" Nightshade explained.

"I bet you anything that the music is wherever Luke is." Jacen said from a top of Nightblaze's shoulder.

"Let's go!" I said.

The five of us started walking down a corridor and the guitar riff from Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare started. We followed the sound and the guitar solo for that song started. We got to the end of the corridor and behind a door that was Autobot sized. We stopped outside the door and listened. Nightmare ended, and a new song started to play. This time, Luke started to sing with it. This is what we heard:

I walk a lonely road

The only one that I have ever known

Don't know where it goes

But it's only me to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street

On the Boulevard of broken dreams

When the city sleeps

And I'm the only one and I walk alone

I walk alone

I walk alone

I walk alone

I walk a-

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me

'Til then I walk alone

Ah-Ah Ah-Ah Ah-Ah Ahhh-Ah

Ah-Ah Ah-Ah Ah-Ah

I'm walking down the line

That divides me somewhere in my mind

On the border line of the edge

And where I walk alone

Read between the lines of what's

Fucked up and everything's all right

Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive

And I walk alone

I walk alone

I walk alone

I walk alone

I walk a-

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me

My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me

'Til then I'll walk alone...

Ah-Ah Ah-Ah Ah-Ah

Ahhh-Ah Ah-Ah Ah-Ah

I walk alone

I walk a-

I walk this empty street

On the Boulevard of broken dreams

When the city sleeps

And I'm the only one and I walk a-

My shadows the only one that walks beside me

My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me

'Til then I'll walk alone

The song ended and we opened the door. Luke stood there and I was worried about him. With his prosthetic and scar on his face, he was pretty damn intimidating.

"Sup guys?" Luke asked.

"Nothin much, just looking for you." Jacen said.

Luke gave us a sad smile and said "You found me."

"Are you alright?" Nightshade asked.

"Yeah, I just needed to give you the slip and be by myself for awhile. Sorry." Luke explained to us.

"Nothing to be sorry about, I understand." Nightshade said.

"What time can I go home tomorrow?" Luke asked.

I looked over at Jacen who said, "I told mom that you'd be home around noon."

Luke nodded and set the electric guitar down and sat down on the ground.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Luke had closed his eyes, but he opened his right eye and said, "Healing, mentally and physically."

"Gotcha."

"Could y'all leave me?" Luke asked, "I would just like a couple of more minutes or hours alone. I need to sort things out with myself."

Sure thing." Jacen said.

We all left and looked at Jacen for an explanation. "What's all of this about?" Nightblaze asked.

"Luke only does this when he's depressed. The last time he acted like this…" Jacen dropped his thought off.

"When what?" Nightshade asked.

"Forget it, I shouldn't have said anything. Luke will talk about it when he wants to, in his own time." Jacen said.

**Jacen's POV**

When Luke had asked us to leave, I immediately understood why. Ever since his best friend had died in a four wheeling accident, I had learned to respect his wishes for privacy the hard way, basically him beating me to a pulp everytime I tried to talk to him about it. So, in a way it made sense, Luke was obviously mourning to me, but maybe not that obvious to the others. I was starting to wish I hadn't opened my big mouth, Luke wouldn't have appreciated it if I would of told the others about the accident. I just hoped that he would tell the others, when or if he was ready.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was time to go, I nudged Ben and showed him the time, he nodded in understanding. "Can we leave?" I asked Nightblaze.

"Yeah. When you're ready."

"Ready."

Nightblaze transformed into his black and yellow Dodge Viper alt mode. Shadow transformed and I was shocked to see what she transformed into…it was Luke's Buell! I got in Nightblaze, on the drivers side and he must've sensed my confusion, because he asked, "You're confounded about something aren't you?"

"Yeah, Shadow is the exact same bike as Luke's." I said.

"You see on that Saturday Luke was attacked and saw Shade and me, the Cons were there to arrest Shadow." Nightblaze started to explain, "Bumblebee chased Knockout away, and Shadow scanned the first bike she saw…Luke's. She liked it, so she kept it. Luke just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. But then the Cons took a liking to him because…"

"Because what?"

"Scrap, I shouldn't have said anything."

"I have a right to know, he's my brother!"

"The Cons think that your brother has some power source inside of him. A power that no other human has, he can create energy. That's what the Cons think."

"And what do you think?"

"I-I'm not sure. Luke healed faster than any human is capable of. His injuries should've kept him hospitalized for a month, not three days. So I have doubt in my mind as to if he doesn't have something inside of him."

"What about Ben and me?"

"There's something off about the two of you as well. I'm picking up odd energy signatures off the two of you, it isn't as strong as Luke's is right about now, but it's still noticable."

"Okay, I'm a bit confused."

"All of us Autobots are as well."

The rest of the drive was silent between the two of us, as we were both thinking about what the energy signatures could mean.

**Luke's POV**

I stood up from where I had just been sitting for the past hour and stretched. I put my new arm under my shirt and the stitches fell right into the palm. I looked down at the stitches and thought about the implications of what this could mean. I kept thinking about what Megatron had told me, I was something energy could be harvested from. Ratchet seemed shocked that I had healed this fast, I was surprised as well. I should've been in a hospital been for a month, not this short span of time. If this healing was the work of the energy inside of me, how could I use it at will? Or was it something that I couldn't or wouldn't be able to control? I let out a sigh and exited the room that I had been in. I was able to find my way back to the main room where Ratchet was with his gigantic computer. I walked up to where it looked like the other humans relaxed, and looked at Ratchet.

"Can I help you?" Ratchet asked.

"Yeah, I was wondering, Megatron said that I had an energy inside of me that he planned to harvest, could you explain that to me?" I asked.

Ratchet sighed and stopped his work on the computer. He turned and looked at me and said, "I wasn't there when you were rescued, but Optimus told the team that Megatron had told him that to give you up alive would be a waste of an energy source that would never run out." I let that sink in and Ratchet continued, "I of course didn't even think for a second that a human could contain an energy source that would never run out, or even have that type of ability. Then your rapid healing started to change my mind. I took a blood sample from you and the results are just coming in. If you'd like to hear the results, I'll tell them to you."

I contemplated Ratchet's offer before I nodded. I looked Ratchet in the eyes and said, "I'd like to know why Megatron wants me."

"You do have some mutation in your cells. I cannot tell what the mutations mean, but the mutated cells are like a cancer, but a benign cancer. It helps you instead of kills you." Ratchet said, "I've come to the conclusion that if you have it, so do your brothers."

"But if Megatron was smart enough to figure out my pattern, that would lead him…" the realization struck me hard, "Home!" I jumped from where I had been and landed on the floor. I was completely unharmed, and I saw my Buell, oddly enough. I ran to it knowing that Ben had most likely kept my keys there. I had saddle bags on it, and I opened one of them to reveal and extra helmet, an extra jacket, and an extra pair of jeans. I put the jeans on over the shorts and took the helmet.

Ratchet seemed to put two and two together but he was to slow to stop me from hopping on the Buell, starting it and zooming out of the tunnel. "Luke, come back! You don't know what you're getting into!" I heard Ratchet call, but I was already gone.

I raced out of the tunnel and onto the deserted highway. I don't think that the speedometer dipped below ninety until I got to the highway everyone used. I slowed down to sixty and got off the exit ramp into town. I slowed down to forty, and kept that speed till I got within a block of my house. I was forced to stop because of a police barricade. I put the kickstand up, shut the engine off, and dismounted. I approached the barricade, but was stopped by a police officer.

"I'm sorry son but you can't go in there." he said.

"My father died, I am no son of yours! My family could be in there!" I snarled.

"What house is yours?"

"The black two story house."

The officers face paled and he wouldn't meet my gaze.

"What happened?" I asked feeling a pit of worry worm into my stomach. The officer didn't reply. "God damn it, what happened!?" I roared.

The officer once again didn't answer and in disgust and against better judgement I shoved past the officer and took of towards my house. Three officers were standing there and when they saw me they looked confused. "Sorry young man, but no civilians are allowed at this time, please go back outside the barrier." one of them said.

"This is my house, can somebody tell me what the fuck is going on?" I demanded.

"Are you a relative of Mary Porters?"

"I'm her son!" I almost screamed.

"Oh." all three faces of the officers blanked. They too wouldn't meet my gaze. I tried to enter the house, but the three blocked me. Without even thinking, I hit a couple of pressure points in their necks, and all three collapsed unconscious. I stepped into the house and my heart fell through my chest when I discovered what was burnt into the floor. It was the same symbol that Megatron had tattooed on his chest, the same symbol I saw on the ship…the Decepticon icon.

My heart started to race and I looked around, everything in the kitchen was dumped out. It was made to look like a robbery slash kidnapping. This time instead of me being taken, it was my mother.

I collapsed onto the floor, and I stayed there. The three cops that I had knocked out, finally came to and pulled me off my knees. I didn't resist, there wasn't a point. My mother was taken, I didn't know where Ben and Jacen were, in a sense I was totally and utterly alone.

_Three Hours Later:_

"Well, Mr. Porter, you have no prior arrests or misdemeanors." the police chief was saying, "So why act out now?"

I looked the police chief in the eyes and asked in a flat, emotionless voice, "What would you have done, if that was your family? The only parent that you had left alive?"

"I wouldn't have attacked three police officers."

I waved that off and shook my head. I was still wearing my leather jacket, and I had a glove on my prosthetic. "I know that I've been missing for five days, but the hospital let me out early." I said.

"We contacted every hospital in California, and you were never registered. No mysterious person was recorded in any hospital, so that raises a question, where were you?"

"In all honesty, I can say I don't know. The place where I do know where I was, I refuse to talk about. My mother is missing and this is what you're doing, questioning me. It's a waste of my time and it's a waste of your time. We both know it. This is Jasper for Pete's sake! This small of a town shouldn't even have gangs!" I said exasperated.

"Now don't get testy." the police chief warned.

"Or what? I'm technically already arrested."

"I just want to know what that symbol means that's burned into the floor of your house."

"I don't know." I said.

"That's a lie and we both know it, what does it mean?" the police chief asked again, his voice rising slightly in annoyance and anger.

"I don't know."

"Stop lying! What does it mean!" the police chief bellowed.

"I. Don't. Know!" I snapped back, "So stop asking me about it!"

The police chief threw his arms up in frustration, and pointed a finger at me and said in a low voice, "This isn't over, not by a long shot. I'll find out what you've been up to." With that said he left the room and I could hear him cursing down the hallway.

I let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back in my chair. The door opened and the police chief came back in with Fowler. The police chief didn't look at all happy with Fowler being there. "This is the kid you're looking for?" the police chief asked.

"Yes it is, Officer Sir." Fowler said, but glared at me when I snickered at the guys last name. "All charges have been dropped, he wasn't in the wrong, he was just distraught finding out that his mother was kidnapped."

"Yes, sir." Officer Sir said. He looked at me and said, "You're free to go."

"Thank you." I said as I stood up. I walked out with Fowler and he didn't look happy.

"What were you thinking?" Fowler asked me.

"That's the thing, I wasn't." I told him, "After I got to the house and confirmed my suspicions, I didn't care. Where are Ben and Jacen?"

"At the base, but you, I'm taking to Sector 8 headquarters."

"If you must." I mumbled.

**Authors Note:**

**That's the chapter, thanks for reviewing to Guest: Princess of Dreams.**

**I do not own the lyrics to Boulevard of Broken Dreams, they belong to Green Day.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VII

A Job and a Curse

The trip to Sector 8 headquarters is one that I might forget when I get older, but not at the moment. Fowler had us travel in a military caravan to an airstrip an hour away from Jasper. From the airstrip we got into an Apache helicopter and were escorted through the air by three Blackhawks. We flew for about another two hours before we landed in a place that reminded me of Area 51, but it wasn't. We landed and Fowler motioned for me to get out. I did, and Fowler stepped in front of me, and six soldiers wearing black military gear formed a circle around us. I looked over at Fowler but he didn't acknowledge me, he just kept walking. I sighed to myself and did the only thing that I really could do, follow Fowler. We walked inside this big foreboding structure and right to an elevator. Only Fowler and I got into the elevator. I looked at Fowler again and asked him, "What the heck is going on?"

"You are in danger from the Decepticons, you left the Autobots base against better judgement, and now a terrorist group known as MECH has found a particular interest in Jasper." Fowler said with some hotness.

"Look Agent Fowler, I only want what's best for my family. I only want to protect them." I snapped angrily, "First you told me that the Navy didn't accept me because your organization had already claimed me. Now you bring me here to the headquarters, and you won't even tell me why the hell I'm actually here!"

"You're here for a job," Fowler said, "which I quite frankly think isn't a job for you. But my superior wants to meet you and give you that job. I don't want you to accept it."

"Why?"

"It'll only lead to problems. They already recruited Ben and Jacen, that's why the Decepticons couldn't take them with your mother, we got to then first."

"Did you give the same advice to them?" I asked.

"I did, they listened and got safer jobs, but I really want you not to take this one either!"

"What about Nightblaze and Shadow? What happened to them?"

"Optimus ordered them to return to base. Nightshade as well."

I was about to ask another question when the elevator stopped and Fowler got out. I put the question aside and followed him. We walked down this hallway until we reached an office. Fowler knocked, then entered with me in tow. A man with brown hair that was parted to the sides, and maybe losing some hair as well, sat behind a desk in a comfy looking chair. In front of his desk were two armchairs. Fowler saluted the man.

"Ahh, thank you Agent Fowler." the man said in a voice that carried authority.

"Sir, Lukas Jon Porter, as you requested." Fowler said.

"Please, sit." the man said politely.

Fowler and I sat down across from the man and he was looking at me intently, it was a bit disturbing. "Why am I here?" I asked.

The man raised an eyebrow and looked at Fowler, then back at me. "You are here because this is the military branch that you've been assigned." he said.

"Look, I don't even know your name or what you do, I don't want to be here, I want to be in Annapolis."

"The name is General Bryce, I cannot tell you what we do here, but you are going to be in this military branch. You wanted to serve your nation, this is the best place!"

"I respectably disagree."

"Just hear me out, Porter." General Bryce said, "I had the same difficulty recruiting your brothers, not to mention your father, but they all came on."

The mention of my father drew my attention. I looked at the general, and understanding dawned on me. "It's your fault he died!" I erupted, "He was never sent to Afghanistan, he died here in America! Fowler mentioned something about a terrorist group known as MECH and I'm betting everything that this is what your division does! You fight MECH here in America!"

"Listen young man, your fathers death was a tradgety, but we cannot let that blind us. I'm willing to bet everything that you would like to kill whomever killed your father."

I looked at General Bryce hard, and I nodded. "I thought so, with Sector 8, you'll have more of a shot to do that. All I'm asking right now is if you're willing to join us."

"Yes, but tell me something first, was my mother ever aware of Sector 8?" I asked.

"Yes, that's actually how your mother and father met. They met at the training academy here." Bryce said.

I let that knowledge sink in and looked at Fowler briefly, then back at the general. "What's the job you wanted me to do?" I asked.

"Infiltrate MECH, spy on them for us. Your brothers refused, but I think that the third times the charm." General Bryce said.

Fowler's words of dont accept it, don't take it, were still in my head. I didn't care right now, if I could bring down the bastards that took my father away, I was going to take any and every opportunity that I could. I didn't look at Fowler, I just looked the general in the eyes and said, "Count me in."

**Jacen's POV**

I didn't know what to think right now. Fowler had just informed me that Luke was going to be infiltrating MECH, something that both Ben and I had rejected. So why didn't Luke? Did he really want to go that far for revenge? It didn't make any sense to me. I saw Luke step out of the elevator and I walked over to him. "Are you out of your mind?" I asked him.

"If you're referring to the infiltration job, I took it because I felt it was necessary." Luke said.

"I still can't believe that you took it! Are you really that bent on getting vengeance?"

"I feel as if I'm cursed, Jace." Luke said softly.

"Why?" I asked in confusion.

"MECH attacked a convoy trying to get a nuclear warhead. The Autobots were helping out." Luke tried to evade my question.

"Don't leave me out like this, why do you feel cursed?"

"Because everytime I feel something's going in a good direction for me, something happens that ends it. I can't protect the people I love, I keep losing them, I don't want to lose you and Ben too." Luke said quietly.

"You couldn't have helped dad, Luke." I said, "Mom wasn't your fault either."

"In a way, it was." Luke paused, "If I would've went with the Autobots when I had the chance the first time, the Decepticons wouldn't have gotten me. If the Cons wouldn't have gotten me, mom would be safe."

"You can't blame yourself like this. But why take the job regarding MECH?"

"You heard General Bryce, they've taken a special interest in Jasper. I want to find out why. I also want to find out what they plan to do. A part of me does want revenge, but the other part sees this as an opportunity to actually help out my country."

"Just promise me that you'll be carefull." I said looking Luke in the eyes.

"I will." Luke promised.

We embraced and three Sector 8 agents came and tapped Luke on the shoulder, and one said gently, "It's time."

"Alright." Luke said as we seperated. He looked at me and said, "Take care of Ben. Don't tell the Autobots where I am or what I'm doing. No one can know except for you, Ben, and me."

"I understand." I said.

I stood there and watched as the three agents led my brother away. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen, something that would affect the rest of my life. I didn't know if it would be be a positive or a negative event.

**Luke's POV**

I didn't know of I had just lied to Jacen or myself, maybe I lied to us both. I was now getting briefed on what my tasks exactly were. After the meeting, I went to the hangar and got into another Apache. I looked at the pilot and asked, "Where are we goin?"

"San Jose, California." the pilot replied. She studied me and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you alittle young to be in this?"

I chuckled, and gave her a smile. "Maybe." I conceded.

She shook her head and didn't say anything the rest of the flight. I didn't mind, I wanted to prepare for the ordeal that was ahead. We landed at an abandoned warehouse where I was told to then get out. I complied and the copter took off.

It had been five minutes since the copter had flown away, and I was beginning to wonder when MECH would show up. As soon as that thought went away, I was covered in car headlights. I looked around and saw a lot of military vans pulling up. A man got out of the one in front of me and approached me.

"You the kid we're supposed to pick up?" he asked in a southern drawl.

"If you're the people I'm lookin for." I answered.

"Of course. If I were to say panther, what would your answer be?"

"Minx."

The man studied me and cracked a smile, "Welchome to MECH, me boy." he said.

"Thank you, sir."

"What'd your name be?" he asked.

"Jon, Jon LaBar." I answered.

The man nodded his head and motioned for me to get in with him. I followed him to the military van and sat next to him. We didn't speak until the van stopped, I didn't say anything but the man said, "Time to get out, boy."

I nodded and got out. I frowned at where we were, it looked like the Red Woods. I followed the men and we eventually got to a compound that was heavily guarded. We entered it and I was shocked at the massiveness of the place. "What will I exactly be doing here?" I asked.

"Well, you'll become a soldier." a gruff voice said from a corner.

I turned to the sound of the voice and saw a man that was six foot four and well built. He had white hair, a proud jawline, and a scar that the corners of his face. "What kind of soldier?"

"One of the best. One that fights for a cause to rid this country of fools and corruption." the man said.

"No disrespect to you sir, but who are you?"

"The names Silas, commander of MECH."

I nodded my understanding and Silas took me by the shoulders. "Now, why are you here?" he asked.

"I'm here to fight against corruption and to make a statement." I answered.

"What are you willing to do for our cause?"

"Anything and everything if I can." I said.

"You seem relatively fit. In fact in great shape."

"Thank you, sir. I pride myself in being the best conditioned and the strongest I can get." that was true.

"Any military training before you decided to join?"

"No sir. I know how to shoot a gun, throw knives, and I know five different martial arts and I'm a third degree black belt in all five."

"How old are you, boy?" Silas asked.

"I just turned eighteen."

"What forms of martial arts?"

"Kung Fu, Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu." I answered, "Not to mention fencing, I was pretty good at that."

"Interesting. How is your shooting?"

"It's alright, not great but not terrible."

"We'll see. I'm going to take you to the range, we have all assortments of weapons to shoot there."

Silas and I walked to the range in silence but once we got there, my draw dropped in awe of the size of the shooting range. It was simply immense. It was all concrete and steel. Down the range were manikins, targets, bolistic gelled manikins, cars, tanks, and various different things. "What do you wanna shoot first?" Silas asked me.

"Do you have bows here?" I asked.

Silas looked at me with an odd expression but didn't comment on it, he just nodded and snapped his fingers. A man about the age of twenty two stepped forward with a black compound bow and a quiver of thirty arrows. "Show us what you can do." Silas said.

I took the bow and arrows and went to the fire line. Two manikins were brought, the bolistic type ones. "Fifteen in each." Silas ordered.

I nodded my understanding and knocked an arrow. I aimed at the manikin on my left, let out a small breath of air, and let go. The arrow flew true and hit where I was aiming, the manikins forehead. I knocked and drew back another arrow and aimed once again. I shot and the arrow once again hit its mark, this time it was the throat. I repeated that process and shot twice more, this time aiming for the eyes. The arrows hit their marks again and now I just focused on the torso. The remaining eleven arrows were tightly grouped in the manikins chest, specifically the heart and lungs. There was barely a centimeter between each arrow. I turned to the other manikin and unloaded as fast as I could, it took me two minutes to unleash fifteen arrows accurately into the manikins chest. Those too had barely a centimeter between them. I set the bow down and watched as Silas examined the manikins. He seemed genuinely impressed. Silas turned around with an eyebrow raised and walked towards me. He looked me in the eyes and said, "I believe that you said earlier your shooting wasn't that good. From what I see here, this is quite the opposite."

"It's not my best grouping, I haven't shot in awhile either so I didn't know how my shots would be." I defended myself.

"What weapon next?" Silas asked.

"A M4A1 CQBR or a M16A1 rifle." I said.

Silas nodded and handed me a M4A1 CQBR and a fully loaded magazine, twenty cartridge. A new manikin was brought up, another bolistics gell one. "Twenty shots, make them all kill shots." Silas ordered.

I nodded and lifted the gun into firing position. I looked down the sights and lined them up with the manikins head. I squeezed the trigger and held it down briefly. A burst of three bullets left the gun and hit the head. I lowered the sights to the chest and fired the remaining seventeen bullets. It was another right grouping for the bullets this time instead of arrows. Silas once again inspected the manikin and seemed pleased with the results. He walked over to me and said, "You're a good shot. If you have a third degree black belt in five different martial arts, I see no need for further training. Unless you have other skills."

"I'm good with computers." I said.

"Are you?"

"I am."

"Then you'll start your computer training tomorrow. I will send someone to get you from your room, is that clear?"

"Crystal." I said.

"You're dismissed."

I was led away from Silas and down a seperate corridor. I was shown to a room and was then left alone. I walked over to my bed and sat down on it as the door closed behind me. I was starting to think that this hadn't been a good idea after all.

**Authors Note:**

**I just would like to ask for a moment of silence for the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School. **

**Guest: Princess of Dreams, thanks for reviewing.**

**Please R&R **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter VIII

Potentials

**Jacen's POV**

It had now been two days since Luke had left for MECH and the Autobots wanted to know where he was. I couldn't tell them, I didn't want to tell them. Whenever they'd ask, I'd shrug my shoulders and say that I didn't know. Nightshade got so irritated with my answers, and he finally asked Fowler on one of his visits to the base.

"I don't know Nightshade, I'm sure Luke'll turn up sooner or later." Fowler said.

Nightshade stormed off and was grumbling about something towards how stupid fleshies were. Fowler looked at me and I whispered to him, "I haven't said anything."

Fowler nodded and whispered back, "We haven't had word from Luke yet. He hasn't contacted us. It's hard to wait around like this, we've never had an espionage system like this."

We stepped away from each other and Fowler talked to Optimus about this and that. Then he left. I looked at my watch and saw that it was about 23:00. Arcee and Jack were just leaving for Jacks house, and Ben walked over to me. I looked at him and gave him a quizzical look.

"I just want to know when we can actually move back home." Ben said.

"I don't think we can. The Cons have figured out where Luke lives and they're certainly smart enough to know that we're his siblings. It'd be a dumb mistake to move back." I said.

"I guess you're right. I'm worried about mum."

"I am too. I'm worried for Luke as well."

"Yeah, well I'm going to go to bed."

"Alright, see ya tomorrow." I said.

Ben walked away and I felt my phone vibrating. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that I had missed four calls. I answered this one, "Hello?"

"Jacen! Thank God you finally answered!" Luke's voice said back in a relieved voice.

"What's going on?"

"You need to get Aunt June to the base, MECH's going to kidnap her to get to Jack and Arcee." Luke said urgently, "They made a pact with some rouge Con called Airachnid. I can't talk long, but…Shit!" Luke cursed.

"What?"

"They just got Aunt June." Luke said then uttered a few choice curse words.

"I'll alert the Autobots." I said.

"You can't, they'll just kill Aunt June if Arcee and Jack don't show up alone."

"Help them!"

"I wish I could, I can't blow my cover yet, Jace. I'm also about six hours away from Jasper."

"Damn!" I swore.

"You haven't said anything to the Autobots have you?"

"No, Nightshade keeps asking about you, I haven't said anything because I truthfully don't know where you are."

"I need to go. Take care Jace. MECH's looking for me as well, they just don't know I'm here."

"But Luke…" the line went dead. "Damn it!" I whispered to myself.

I had to figure out a way to help out Aunt June, Jack, and Arcee. Nothing came to me. In frustration I went up the elevator and outside the base. I stepped out of the elevator and sat on the edge of the rock. I looked out over the desert nights landscape and thought it looked better in the dark. "The shadows are stretching." I muttered to myself.

**Luke's POV**

It was now just past one in the morning here at the base. I was waiting for some word on whether Silas' last venture had been a success. I didn't want it to be because that meant death for two people I cared about, and Arcee. I didn't know Arcee well enough to really judge or like.

I was sitting in my room when I heard two soldiers walking by talking about the trip to Jasper.

"Yeah, Silas is pissed." one said.

"I would be too if some sixteen year old just ruined my entire plan. But we at least know where to get some of those machines." the other said.

"True, but I still can't believe that all three got away."

The soldiers passed and I let out a sigh of relief. At least they were safe. The same couldn't be said of me right now. I had hacked into MECH's mainframe and had stolen a lot of info, I didn't tell Silas when we first met that I was an excellent hacker. I never left a trace of my work, and right now I was creating a virus that would erase MECH's entire mainframe. I'm sure that they had the information in hard drives, but it'd be a pain to try and download everything again. My theft could yield a lot of information to Sector 8, maybe enough where they'd let me look for my mum. But in truth, I didn't want to go back to Jasper. I wanted to meld into the shadows and disappear. I understood that I couldn't do that, but man was it tempting. I had just finished contacting Sector 8 that I had the information and that I was ready for extraction. They sent a reply back that they'd attack the base tomorrow and "kill" Jon LaBar. I didn't want others to die but this was war, nobody was safe. I said that I understood and layed myself on my bed, shut the computer I was using off, and took the flash drive that I had and put it in my pocket. I closed my eyes and sleep soon took me.

I woke up to the sounds of alarms going off and troops rushing by my door. I got up and opened my door. "What's going on?" I asked.

One of the troops stopped and looked at me, "You better get armed and dressed, we're under attack!" he said.

"Thanks." I said.

I went back into my room and got everything on. I made sure the flash drive was secure and grabbed my M4A1 CQBR and followed the flow of troops outside. I technically didn't have any combat training, so I actually didn't know what to do. I just wanted to "die" and go back home. I then noticed I was the only soldier wearing a pack, no one questioned it, I just had actually thought it was part of the uniform. The fight started and we surged forward, I saw an Apache helicopter with Fowler in it, and ran towards it. I was then "shot" and I fell to the ground. The attack on the base continued and MECH was forced to retreat. My body was hauled into the Apache and I took my MECH armor off.

"Have what you came for?" Fowler asked.

"In a sense, yeah I do." I said, "I'm sorry I couldn't warn you about MECH's trap earlier, I found out late and I tried getting a hold of you and Jacen, I just didn't get any response."

"You don't have to apologize. The Autobots are worried about you."

"Why? I barely know them."

"They think that the Decepticons got you."

"If I was captured by the Decepticons, Megatron would've gloated about it."

"True. How did they treat you?"

"Not to bad actually. They put me through shooting tests, conditioning tests, and strategy tests. I aced them all. I didn't really try on any of them." I informed Fowler, "Any news on my mom?"

"No, I'm sorry." Fowler said without meeting my eyes.

"I got the info that Bryce wanted, do you think he'll let me go after her?"

"He doesn't want to lose you. You're too valuable to him."

"Why?"

"The same reason the Cons want you, your power source."

"I don't even know how to activate it or use it." I protested. "Wait it a minute, how does he know about my energy potential?"

"I might have told him."

"You have no right, Fowler." I growled.

"If I think you're a threat to this country, I have every right."

"What's to stop my from jumping out of here and dieing? No one could use me then."

"What's stopping you is your love for your family." Fowler said.

"Thank you." I said honestly.

_Two Hours Later_

I was back at Sector 8 HQ waiting to get debriefed by General Bryce. Sitting in the "loby" for half an hour was kind of infuriating. The door finally opened and I was admitted into General Bryce's room. I sat down across from him and pulled the flash drive out of one of my pockets. Bryce's face lit up as I produced the flash drive. I withheld it from him and his face fell. I looked into his eyes and said, "If I give you this, I'll do it on one condition."

"What condition?"

"That you'll let be go search for my mother, alone. You'll let me go." I said.

"Why on earth would I do that?" Bryce asked confused.

"Because, you want this flash drive."

Bryce sat in silence, deep in thought. He finally looked at me and said grudgingly, "Deal, you can look for your mother, I just want to train you before you go."

"Train me in what?"

"I want you to be a pilot, a damn good one."

"How long will that take?"

"Depends on how quick of a learner you are."

"Makes sense."

"So, do we have a deal?"

I nodded and handed Bryce the flash drive. He dismissed me and I walked out of the room. I let a sigh of relief escape me, I couldn't believe that I'd be able to actually look for my mom. I walked down the corridor and followed signs to the fighter pilot area. I eventually got there and was met by Colonel Jackson. "You the Porter kid I'm expecting?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." I said.

"Very well, come along. We're starting your training in five minutes."

"Alright."

Colonel Jackson led me to a room and left me alone.

_A Week Later_

If I was the quickest graduate, I wasn't told. I had completed the course in just a week, where others have taken a couple of months. I graduated with such honors that I was actually Captain Porter now. I was given my own F-22 Raptor. It was all black with yellow wings and at first I was suspicious that it was an Autobot. I searched the entire inside and outside to see if the Autobot insignia was anywhere in the plane. After minutes of searching, I found nothing. I hadn't named it yet, but I had an idea. "How about Stormshadow?" I whispered to myself. I actually liked it and had it painted blue in cursive on the left side of the cockpit.

"Captain." I heard.

I turned around and saw Fowler, General Bryce, my brothers, and the Autobots walking towards me. I raised a hand in greeting and went back to inspecting my plane. I found nothing wrong with her and jumped down from by the cockpit. "Hey, what's up?" I asked.

"We're here to ask where have you been." Optimus Prime said sternly.

I looked at my brothers and then at General Bryce and Fowler. "I've been here, training to become a pilot." I said.

"You expect us to believe that?" Bulkhead asked.

"For the past week, yeah." I said, "The days before that, I cannot say."

"Why not?" Arcee asked.

"Ask them." I said pointing to Fowler and Bryce.

"Where was Luke?" Nightshade asked.

"With MECH." General Bryce said, "Before you protest, Luke agreed to it only to get information from MECH. He spied on them for us."

Optimus looked at me carefully and asked, "Why would you do that?"

"The truth?" Optimus nodded. I sighed and continued, "I wanted to get back at the bastards that killed my father. I downloaded information from their mainframe into a flash drive, I wanted to hurt them. The espionage was the perfect opportunity to cripple them."

"So you took it for revenge purposes?" Optimus asked.

"Partly yes, the other part is because I actually wanted to stop them." I answered.

"Now where are you going?" Ben asked.

"To find mom." I said.

Everyone except Fowler and Bryce looked at me in shock. "What do you plan to do if you find her?" Nightshade asked.

"Rescue her if I can. I've figured some things out that I'm going to find helpful against the Cons."

"What have you figured out?" Jacen asked.

"My potential for being very talented." I said with a smile.

Jacen's eyes went wide with understanding and he gasped, "No way, you figured it out!?"

"I did, so the Cons will definitely find me."

"You're the bait!" Ben exclaimed.

"Yes, but I won't be captured again, I promise you that." I said as I turned around and climbed back to my cockpit.

I put my helmet on and started the Raptor up. I started down the runway and waited until I got up to speed, then took off. I was going to find my mom, one way or another.

**Authors Note:**

**Thanks for the review, Guest: Princess of Dreams**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter IX

Mixed Feelings

Flying the Raptor was actually pretty fun, that was until I had to fight my way to the Cons warship, but we'll get to that later.

I had just taken off and zoomed away from Sector 8's HQ and was glad that there wasn't any sign of persuit. I had found out to use my so called energy, it was literally easy to use. I just had to picture myself doing it, and it'd yield its power for my use. If I could just lay a trail of breadcrumbs for Megatron to follow, that'd be the ideal thing, but at the same time I knew it wouldn't be that easy. I had flown for an hour and hadn't see anything until another F-22 flew past me. I looked and saw that it had the Decepticon insignia on its belly. It zoomed ahead of me, and I follows it. It tried to ditch me, but I kept after it. It led me to my goal, a giant warship flying in the stratosphere. Turrets turned and aimed at me, then they fired. I barrel rolled and used a lot of evasive maneuvers and then open fired on the turrets. I pulled up and did a corkscrewing reverse and faced the Con. I locked on to it with some of my missiles, and fired. The Con tried to evade them, but they were locked on and the Con died. I then turned my Raptor around and hovered by what I thought was the bridge. I locked two missiles on it, and fired. More Cons came out of what I'm guessing was the hangar and I smiled, this was what I wanted. I flew away from the warship, persued by seven Cons. I flew into storm clouds to lose my persuers and I waited until the Cons went past me. I followed them, and the hunters became the hunted. I attacked them from behind and watched as four of the seven fell without a fight. I disappeared into the clouds again and locked on to another one. This one was right behind the leader, and I fired. The Con went down in a smoking fashion and the remaining two I dispatched like the first four. I flew to a small flat topped mountain that I saw in the distance and I landed on it. I got out of the cockpit and took my helmet off. I had a Glock 17 holstered on each hip, and I lifted a white flag. Megatron didn't keep me waiting long. He came in a foreign looking plane, and transformed and landed in front of me.

"Tell me, maggot," Megatron said dangerously, "why should I heed your truce?"

I took of my pilot helmet and looked at the Decepticon leader and said, "Because you wanted me. Here I am, claim your prize Megatron."

The Decepticon leader laughed and looked down at me and asked, "You've come to me willingly? Hah! What does Prime think of this?"

"He doesn't like it, but if I'm to come with you and cooperate, you need to let my mom go."

"Fine, fleshling."

A ground bridge, as I had learned it was called, opened and my mom was brought through inside a container. She looked alright, but when she saw me, her face fell into one of dispair. Megatron opened the container and my mom rushed to me, we hugged and I pulled away and looked at my mom at arms length. "Mom, I want you to get into the Raptor, it'll take you to Sector 8. I need you to leave mom. Go back to Ben and Jacen." I said calmly.

"What about you?" my mom asked worriedly.

I gave her a calm smile and assured her, "I'll be fine, just get home."

My mom nodded and got into the Raptor, I threw my helmet up to her and she put it on. On my left wrist was a control pad of some sort, I hit a button and the cockpit closed, and the Raptor took off. I looked at Megatron and said, "Let's go."

Another ground bridge opened and Megatron ushered me through. As I stepped onto the floor,I was guided to my "room" which was more of a prison. I just hoped I knew what I was doing.

**Ben's POV**

When Luke had just flown off, I think we were all stunned. If I had understood Luke's plan from the small amount of detail that he had given us, Luke was going to give himself up in a trade for mom. I looked at the Autobots and pleaded, "We have to go after him. He'll get himself killed!"

Optimus shook his head sadly and looked down at me, "Sorry Ben, but if what Luke is doing is his wish. I do not wish to deny him it." he said.

I looked over at Jacen with pleasing eyes and Jacen shook his head. "Optimus is right, Ben." Jacen said, "You know Luke as well as I do, once he gets an idea in his head, there's no stopping him."

"What! Luke can't just give himself up!" I said.

"Sorry Ben, there's nothing we can do." Jacen asserted.

I walked out of the hangar in frustration. I found myself in a sparring room, and there was no one on there. I saw some gear lying on a bench, unused. I walked over to it and picked it up. My heart went faster when I saw a note on it, it was for me. I saw a changing room and went in there, I put on the gear and stepped out of the room. I wasn't as tall or as muscular as my brothers, but I was still a good size. I was six foot one, two hundred and ten pounds, compared to Jacen and Luke both being six foot two and two hundred and twenty five pounds.

I saw someone in black and red trunks standing in the ring wearing his sparring gear. He was my height and looked my weight. He had black hair, electric blue eyes, and a strong jaw line. "Umm, hi, did you leave that sparring stuff for me?" I asked.

"I did, I want to see what you're made of." he replied.

"Nightshade?" I asked incredulously.

The mech smiled at me and nodded. "How–how are you human?" I asked.

His form flickered and he said, "Holoform, it's like a hologram but only solid."

"That makes some sense I guess."

"So do you want to spar?"

"I feel like I'll get my ass kicked, but why not."

I stepped into the ring and put on a sparring helmet. I then put the gloves back on and was surprised when Nightshade didn't put on a sparring helmet. "Aren't you going to put a helmet on?" I asked.

Nightshade chuckled and shook his head. "No, with holoforms we feel the impact of things but it won't mess us up." Nightshade replied.

"Alright," I said skeptically, "are you ready?"

"Yeah, are you?"

I nodded and Nightshade started a timer that counted down from five minutes. We advanced towards each other and touched gloves, then backed away. Luke and Jacen were the ones that were good at this type of thing, I was good but I wasn't at their level. Nightshade took a defensive stance and it was a well balanced one. I looked for an opening, but I couldn't see one. Nightshade tested my defenses with a right jab followed by a left. I blocked the jabs and responded with a couple jabs of my own. I honestly didn't like my chances because this was a professional soldier that I was fighting.

I just decided to throw caution to the wind and went one the offensive. I threw a couple of hooks at Nightshade then followed em up with a roundhouse kick. Nightshade blocked the hooks then the kick. He counterattacked with a superman punch that caught me right in the side of the sparring helmet. I stumbled backwards a bit and the timer went off.

"Not bad, you could definitely use some work." Nightshade said.

"I…I know…damn you're good." I panted. I was still trying to catch my breath.

"Does Luke do any of this?"

"Yeah, he's a tank." I paused, "He and Jacen are good at this."

"You up for another round?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No, I have a feeling you were holding back that entire time." I said.

Nightshade gave me a crooked smile and said, "Maybe, maybe not."

We both chuckled. I was about to ask something when Jacen came into the room. Nightshade and I both looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders.

"How long have I been here?" I asked him.

"You've been in here for…I don't know maybe twenty minutes." Jacen replied. He turned his attention to Nightshade and said, "The others are wondering why you've suddenly gone into a stasis."

"I wanted to check on Ben, and get to know him better." Nightshade said.

"Ah, that would explain it." Jacen said, "Alright, I'll be off."

"Ben tells me that you're a good fighter." Nightshade said.

Jacen, in mid turn, froze. "It's not something that I'm proud of." he said.

"Why not?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Because it's barbaric, Ben." Jacen said as he turned back towards me and Nightshade, "Beating the shit out of someone, watching them bleed, it isn't something that I was exactly proud of extracting from someone. Luke hated it as well, what he did to Vince wasn't out of fun or for a fight, he did it to stop Vince from picking on kids, which I've heard hasn't worked."

"Then why did you guys do it if you hated it so much?" Nightshade asked.

"Because our family was in financial difficulties when we were younger. Luke and I saw it as a way to help our parents out of debt. Mom was paying off her student loans and the hospital bills from your birth Ben." Jacen explained. He looked me in the eyes and then continued. "I need the two of you to promise something, if you agree I will tell you something about why Luke acts the way he does."

"What do you want us to promise?" I asked.

"Not to tell another living soul about it if I tell you, don't even talk about or think about it."

"I promise." Nightshade said.

"I promise as well." I said.

"It's about the accident Luke had five years ago." Jacen started, "He and his best friend, Dyllan Sanchez, were four wheeling together. They were riding for a good hour before what Luke described to me as a blue flash of energy hit in front of them, followed by a purple flash behind them. With nowhere to go, the two of them tried going to their right, but this time two energy blasts, one blue the other purple, struck the two." Jacen paused and let us sink that in. "Luke only talked to my about it once, there was a man laughing, dressed in all black. Luke said that he could see what looked like titans fighting each other and the man cheering one of them on. The man as Luke described him was one of great stature, six feet and five inches, and seemed to have red lightning bolts circling around his arms. Luke always got the chills when he saw lightning, I understand why now. But at this time, I fear that the man Luke saw has the same powers that Megatron and the Decepticons are looking for in him. Then as quickly as the titans and the man had appeared, they vanished. Luke saw his friend lying next to him, he checked for a pulse but felt non. Luke is distant from people because he doesn't want to feel that loss again. He's bent on helping people because he hates seeing innocent people get hurt. I hope you understand some things about Luke and know why he's doing what he's doing."

"I do understand, now." Nightshade said softly.

"I…I understand as well. I might not like it, but I understand it." I said.

**Jacen's POV**

I had hoped that the two of them would understand after that story. Luke would've killed me if he knew that I had told them that. I looked at the time, I had spent two hours telling them that story. Alarms started blaring, and I rushed back to the hangar. I saw all the Autobots, Fowler, and General Bryce standing there. I heard metal footsteps stop behind me and I didn't have to look to know that it was Nightshade, and most likely Ben was with him.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Your brothers Raptor is about to land." Fowler said.

I nodded and watched as the F-22 landed, but I was surprised on who got out…our mother. She looked alright, frightened but alright. Ben got off Nightshade's shoulder and the two of us rushed to her. We embraced her and held each other for awhile. "Where's Luke?" I asked as we finally seperated.

"He stayed behind with the Decepticons, didn't he?" Optimus asked.

My mom looked at Optimus in surprise but she replied steadily, "If you're referring to the ones with purple eyes and a despicable attitude, yes my son traded himself to them for my freedom."

"That's what I was afraid of." General Bryce muttered.

"Shut up, general." my mom snapped, "He wouldn't have been in this mess if you hadn't sent Markus on that mission to MECH!"

General Bryce winced, didn't say anything, and then left. My mom turned her attention back to Optimus and the Autobots and asked, "You must be the Autobots that they were talking about on that vile ship?"

"Yes, ma'am." Optimus said, "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."

"Nobel leader, what an odd name." my mom said.

Optimus looked confused and I face palmed, "Mom, I don't think the Cybertronians know Latin." I groaned.

"Makes sense to me, but why wouldn't they know Latin? I have a feeling that they've been to this planet before." my mom said.

"Wait, what?" Be asked.

"The two of you cannot be that naïve, surely you didn't think that I didn't know about the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. I worked for Sector 8 for a twenty long years!" my mom said.

**Authors Note:**

**There it is, sorry that I haven't updated, I've got myself some writers block. I know what I want this story to turn out like, I just can't figure out the order of what I want it to go in.**

**Thank you Guest: Princess of Dreams for reviewing.**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Warning: This Chapter might be confusing to some.**_

Chapter X

Revival

**Luke's POV**

After I had been shown my "room" Megatron left me to my own vices. I didn't know how long it was going to take, but I was going to break free and escape. At least that's what I was hoping for. What I needed was a weapon that would cause damage to the behemoths around me. My Glock 17's wouldn't do any harm, of that I was certain. I sat down on the floor and took in my surroundings. I ended up staring at my prosthetic arm, I don't know why but I had a feeling that the prosthetic would end up being helpful. I was still in my pilots jacket, and I was wearing a black glove that covered the hand. I made a fist and unclenched it.

The door opened and my attention went back to the task at hand. I was shocked to see a person walk in though, a person dressed in black. I recognized him instantly. "You!" I shouted as I rose to my feet.

"Me?" the man said in a gruff voice, "What could I have possibly done?"

"You know very well." I growled, "Think about it, five years ago in California, there were two teenagers riding four wheelers, you caused one of them to die."

"Oh, you can't be mad at me for doing something so small." the man replied, "I didn't kill the boy, I eased his passing. He would've died in an hour anyway."

"You don't know that. I swear to you right here and now, I will kill you."

The man laughed and gave me a mocking smile. "You can't kill me, I work for the Decepticons. I'm to valuable, you on the other hand, you are expendable."

"You have the same powers as I do, don't you?"

"Possibly, who do you think helped the Cons capture your mother? Who do you think led them to their prize?"

"Even more reason for me to kill you." I growled.

The man chuckled and looked at me in amusement, "Let us see what you're made of then, shall we?" he asked.

"Sure thing, but before I kill you I want to know your name."

"Cade Zlalynhds."

"Pleased to kill you."

I stood up off the floor and looked for an opening. Cade unsheathed a katana that he had on his back and beckoned me forward. "Didn't expect me to fight fair did you? I have a weapon, you do not." he said smugly.

"Don't I?" I asked.

"…" Cade was about to say something when I launched a barrage of lightning from my hand. He dodged the attacks and I rushed forward and tackled him. The katana rolled away and I got up and kicked it away. Cade got up and looked at me in shock. "They told me that you didn't know how to access your power!" he exclaimed.

"You can't believe everything that you hear."

Cade rushed at me and I leaned out of the way of his blows. I spun on my left heel and caught Cade on the back with my left elbow. As he stumbled, I rushed at him and just before I got to him, I left me feet and ran off his chest, did a flip in the air, and landed in a crouch. Cade stumbled backwards and took a fighting stance. I took a lazy stance, similar to the one I had used against Vince. With a roar, Cade attacked. He threw jab after jab at me, I dodged, blocked, and evaded all of them. I punched at me and I caught his fist and drew him in closer, simultaneously I elbowed him in the face and swept his legs out from underneath him. Cade landed roughly on his back and he had me slowly crushing the life out of him. I had my right forearm on his trachea. I looked into his eyes and said coldly, "You have no idea who you fucked with. Hard to believe that you're older than I am." I spat in his face and got off of him.

Cade heaved for air and got onto his knees. I walked over to where his katana was laying and picked it up. I turned around and Cade was back on his feet. "Back for more?" I asked.

"No, I want peace." Cade said. He reached for his face and at first I was horrified because I thought he was tearing his face off. I realized that was a stupid assumption and watched as he removed some type of rubber from his face. He finished and he was a kid my age. "How you doin Luke?"

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

Cade chuckled and said, "Cade Zlalynhds, rearrange those letters and you get Dyllan Sanchez."

I was shocked. "No way! That's impossible! Dyllan died!" I yelled.

"I technically did die, but I was revived in the hospital. Sector 8 found us there in the woods, my uncle works for them, my entire family does actually." 'Cade' said.

"I don't believe you, and even if you are Dyllan how the hell did you get here?"

"Fowler, he locked on to your coordinates that they got from your jacket and sent me in to extract you."

"How do I know you aren't lieing?" I challenged.

"You don't, you just have to trust me."

"When we were six, you and I pulled a prank on our first grade teacher, Mrs. Delore, what was the prank, and how many months were we suspended?" I asked.

"The prank was unhingeing the classroom door, sticking a tac on her chair, and filling her desk drawers with pudding. We didn't get suspended for months, only two days."

"What was my favorite gift that you had ever given me?" I asked.

"Your tenth birthday present from me, which was a trip to a skiing resort in Colorado."

"One last question, if you've come from Sector 8 then if I were to say 'Dragons Layer' your response would be…?"

"Dragon Slayer."

"I guess I lied, this is a riddle that I told you long ago. Let's see if you still remember the answer." I said, "There are two sisters, one is fair and the other beautiful. They are twins, the first was born of the second, yet the second was born of the first. How can that be, and who are the sisters?"

"The two sisters you speak of are Night and Day. The first can be born of the second because Night comes after Day, while the second can be born of the first because Day comes after Night."

"Why haven't you contacted me sooner?"

"Because my uncle wouldn't allow me to. He was afraid that I'd alienate you and your family."

"Who's your uncle?"

"General Bryce."

"You can't be serious!"

"Unfortunately, I am." Dyllan said.

"How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?"

"I don't know, I don't have any service. I can't contact Sector 8."

"The Cons don't know you're on board, do they?"

"No, they don't."

I shook my head and looked desperately around, "Why go on with the deception? Why not tell me who you were? And why did you come in looking like him!" I asked.

Dyllan looked down and said, "Because Dyllan is dead, I'm what remains of him."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm a clone! A clone with all of Dyllan's memories, all of his personality."

"Timeout! I'm frickin confused!"

"I understand that, but I was created to kill you and your brothers if you ever became a threat to Sector 8 or National Security. I came in looking like the man that you saw because that's what Bryce wanted me to look like, to see if you'd spare me, or kill me in cold blood." Dyllan said.

"I'm still lost here." I said.

"You'll have to ask Bryce about it when you get back. I'm not supposed to last that long."

"Why not?" I asked frowning.

"I'm supposed to protect you from the Cons while we make our escape."

"You're not making and sense!"

"I'm sorry about that, but we need to get out of this room if we're to get out of here in one piece."

"Lead the way." I mumbled.

Dyllan nodded and led me out of the room. He led me down a long corridor and I saw what looked like a hangar. Dyllan looked at me and asked, "How good are your hot wiring skills?"

"Umm, they're good, why do you ask?"

"We need to hot wire a Vehicon."

"Easier said than done, they're living things."

"Try it."

I lifted my eyebrows quickly and let them go back into their natural position. "Fine, hold off anything or anyone if they come in here." I said.

I went over to a Vehicon, as Dyllan had called it and got on top of it. I climbed into the cockpit and broke open what I was guessing was its dashboard. I yanked out some wires and started hot wiring it. The Con shuddered and I frowned. I kept at it and the sound of combat erupted outside. I looked out of the cockpit and saw Dyllan fighting Cons. He actually killed one by shooting its eyes, and as it fell, placed C4 on its head. Then to my horror, Dyllan was engulfed in a flash of purple. The skin melted off revealing a metal skeleton. It was like something right out of a Terminator movie. The metal thing moved and started attacking again, and I realized that I still had its katana. The 'Dyllan' bot finally was killed and I took of on my high jacked Decepticon.

I flew for twenty minutes before I started to think about what had just happened. My friend Dyllan had been revived, then killed again, revealed as a clone/terminator thing, and killed again. I was utterly confused and I couldn't help but think that it had been telling the truth about its purpose. Bryce seriously thought that my brothers and I were a threat to him? I was in a bigger state of confusion than I had thought possible.

**Ben's POV**

"You mean to say that you knew about the Autobots?" I asked.

"Of course." my mom said, "I was their first liaison before Fowler."

"You didn't tell us!" Jacen exclaimed looking at the Autobots.

The Autobots took a sudden interest in the ground. "Why would they have told you?" my mom asked with a raised eyebrow, "I was under an alias at the time. There were six of them when I was there. I was their liaison from their arrival, when you were five Ben, up until Luke's accident."

"What about dad?" I asked.

"He was gathering intel about MECH, which by the way," my mother glared at General Bryce and Fowler, "I was NOT happy with finding out that Luke had been sent to infiltrate them!"

"How did you know that?" Jacen asked.

Our mom rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. "Luke left something in his cockpit that explained a hell of a lot to me." she said.

"Oookaayy." I said drawn out.

"I'm expecting Luke to get here, and when he does, there'll be hell to pay!" mom said, she snapped her fingers at Fowler and demanded, "Bring me to a room where I can discuss my displeasure with you and General Baldy."

"Yes, ma'am." Fowler said.

Fowler, General Bryce, and our mother walked out of the hangar. Jacen and I let out a pent up breath and looked at each other. "She's pissed." Jacen said.

"Yup." I agreed.

I cocked my head to the side when I heard a strange noise, and looked outside. I saw an F-16 approaching fast and it looked like a Decepticon. "Umm, you might want to see this." I said to the Autobots.

The Autobots walked over and Arcee cursed, "Decepticons!"

"Just one." Optimus said as his right arm turned into a cannon. He aimed at the F-16 and fired. It was a direct hit, but there was something wrong.

I squinted and saw a figure holding a long object jump out of the cockpit. "Optimus, I don't think that's a Decepticon." I said.

**Luke's POV**

What a great start to the day, I thought my best friend was alive only to find it was a terminator clone of him, watched the terminator die, and now I was shot out of the sky by the Autobots. What more could a guy ask for? I jumped out of the cockpit holding the katana and was cursing to myself, how the hell was I going to survive?

I stuck the katana through a belt loop on the pilots suit and concentrated on my breathing, yes I was I free fall, but I theorized that if I could generate a ball of lightning around me, it would break my fall. I started to form lightning and kept creating more and more as I formed it into a protective sphere. I held my breath and prayed that this was going to work. I felt an immense impact and then the sensation of falling, again. I opened my eyes and found that I wasn't falling, I was just stuck in a sphere of black lightning, a solid sphere. I groaned, how was this even possible. I felt the sphere being lifted up and then set down. I thrust my left hand, and a me sized hole opened up. I walked out and saw the Autobots looking down at me in concern. "What's up," I asked sarcastically, "never seen a falling man in a ball of lightning before?"

"Ummm." was Nightshade's response.

"Didn't think so." I said as I turned back and saw the solid black sphere. "Hard to believe that I can create something like that." I muttered to myself. I walked around the sphere and saw that I had made a crater that was roughly ten feet deep and maybe fifteen feet in diameter. I whistled when I saw it.

I turned my attention back to the Autobots and Nightshade offered me his hand. I stepped on and he placed me on his shoulder. "I need to talk to Bryce, it's important." I said.

"What's important?" I heard Ben say.

I looked to my left and saw Ben standing next to Shadow, and Jacen on Nightblaze's shoulder. "Because," I said, "I recently found out that General Bryce had a robot made that looked like my friend Dyllab Sanchez. He made that robot to either help us out, or kill us if we became a threat to Sector 8 or National Security."

"You can't be serious!" Ben exclaimed.

"I doubt General Bryce would do that." Optimus said.

"You normally wouldn't shoot me out of the sky, but you did today." I pointed out, "Although you didn't know I was in there."

"Sorry about that." Optimus apologized.

"Hey, I would've done the same if I were in your shoes." I said to him. "Right now, I just really need to talk to Bryce about his terminators."

"Why would General Bryce think that you and your brothers would be a threat?" Bulkhead asked.

"Besides the fact that we can create lightning?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, "I've also discovered another mutation of mine, I seem to have superhuman reflexes."

"How so?" Nightshade asked.

"I seem to know what people are going to do in a fight before they themselves know what they're going to do." I said.

"When did you discover that?" Ben asked.

"Today about an hour ago." I replied.

"Fighting the Dyllan Terminator?" Jacen asked.

"Yup."

All of us got into the hangar and I jumped off of Nightshade's shoulder. I found a Sector 8 guard and walked over to him. "Where's General Bryce?" I asked.

"Talking with Agent Fowler and ex-Agent Porter."

"Wait, my mom worked for Sector 8?"

"You are..."

"Captain Porter." I said impatiently.

"Oh, yes your mother did work for us. Up until you were thirteen actually."

"I need to talk to all three of them then." I said.

"That can't happen, sir." the guard said.

"I don't give a damn, I'm going to make it happen. Move aside."

"I can't, sir. General Bryce said nothing is to bother the conversation."

"I understand that, but this might contain something about National Security!" I said, but the last to words I shouted towards the room behind the guard.

The door to the room opened and Agent Fowler stuck his head out. "What about National Security?" he asked.

"I have something that I need to discuss with you and the other two that you are conversing with." I saidz

"Important?"

"Very."

"Very well, come on in."

I nodded my thanks and stepped past the guard and into the room. My mom was sitting across from the good general and there were two empty chairs, one I presumed was Fowler's and the other was perfect for me. My mom didn't look happy at all, and neither did General Bryce.

"What do you have that pertains to National Security?" General Bryce asked me.

"The fact that you created a robot to terminate me and my brothers if we are conceived to be a threat to Sector 8 and or National Security. I find that…what's the word I'm looking for…ah yes, a dick move there buddy!" I said angrily.

"What!" Fowler and my mother exclaimed in shock at the same time.

"How did you find out?" Bryce asked.

"Simple really, your robot told me."

"Why would it have told you?"

"Probably because it could feel the bond that Dyllan and I had had together. Dyllan and I never kept secrets from each other."

"Forgive me if I thought that you and your brothers would be a threat, with that kind of fire power." General Bryce said defensively.

"He couldn't have killed me anyway." I said, "I beat him in one on one combat."

"Well, I think that it's time for me and my sons to go home." my mom said.

"Mom, we live with the Autobots." I said.

"I didn't think that we'd be living anywhere else, especially after the Cons kidnapped me." mom said.

"You don't have a guardian though…"

"So, I don't need a job, so I don't need a guardian." my mom interrupted.

"Alright." There wasn't any reason to argue with my mother, I've learned over the years that you can't win an argument with her.

"So," my mother said turning her attention to Bryce and Fowler, "are we done here?"

"Yes, we are." General Bryce said.

"Good." my mom said then turning to me asked, "You ready to leave?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." I replied.

My mom nodded in satisfaction and led me out of the room. She nodded to Optimus and a ground bridge opened, we all went through.

**Jacen's POV**

I was really starting to hope for just a regular life again. I hated the fact that my brothers and I were extremely different. Thanksgiving Break was going to be over in a day and Luke was going back to school for the first time in a long time. My headaches were gone, I don't know how they just stopped but I wasn't going to complain about it.

Luke didn't seem happy to be back, I think he preferred to be on his own. I was worried about him, he was acting distant. He was keeping his distance from the Autobots and from us, his family. I walked over to where my mom was sitting talking to Ratchet. She stopped way she was going to say and looked at me with a smile on her face. "There's one of them." she said.

"What did we do?" I asked confused.

"Nothing, Ratchet and I were just talking about how you and your brothers are different." she said.

"Don't remind me, I just want to be normal." I muttered.

"Jacen," my mom said sternly, "great people have always been different from those of us which lead normal lives. There's always going to be those that are different from the rest of us."

"How's Luke doing?" I asked to change the subject, "He's been staying away from all of us since we got back here."

"I think Luke is struggling to know that he's different. I think he's also struggling with the fact that he's an amputee. Luke hasn't been to school in what, fifteen to eighteen days? He's scarred on the outside and on the inside." my mom said sadly.

"Where is he?"

"Topside." Ratchet said.

"I'm going to talk to him." I said.

"No." my mom said. Ratchet and I looked at her with surprised looks. "Luke needs to figure things out on his own."

I nodded and turned to leave, but then an idea stopped me. I turned around and faced Ratchet and asked, "You told Luke that you discovered that whatever is in us is like a benign cancer, right?" Ratchet nodded, "Then is it possible for that cancer to be eradicated?"

Ratchet stopped and thought. "Hmmm, it might be." Ratchet said, "But I don't see how it'd help, from what I understand about chemotherapy it harms the person more than it helps."

"I'm not talking about chemo, I'm talking like surgery."

"I don't think that it's possible." Ratchet said after he had been silent for a while.

I nodded in disapointment and turned to leave. I walked away and went to the training room, I needed to clear my head. I walked into the room and saw Nightshade and Nightblaze sparring with one another. I stopped and watched for a while. It was like a dance between the two of them, they matched each others blows and blocks with a grace that I had never seen before. I was in awe at the spectacle before me. The two of them stopped eventually and noticed me standing there with my mouth hanging open.

"How long have you been there?" Nightshade asked me.

"I don't know, five minutes maybe?" I replied.

"What brings you to the training room?" Nightblaze asked.

"I just wanted to get away from the outside world and blow off some steam and frustration." I answered.

"What's got you now?" Nightblaze asked.

I explained to the two of them about my conversation with my mother and Ratchet. They both listened closely and I appreciated that. When I finished, the two of them looked at me and then back at each other. "You know, maybe if you didn't focus on how different you are from other people, you wouldn't feel so down." Nightshade said.

"Yeah, focus on what sets you apart, but not my physical means or supernatural means, but by your personality. Set aside your gifts and ignore them." Nightblaze said.

I couldn't help but crack a small smile, the two of them reminded me a lot of Luke and myself when we were younger. "Thanks you two, you guys helped out a bunch." I said.

"No problem, we're not just your guardians but your friends as well." Nightblaze said.

"I appreciate it." I said. I nodded my thanks and left the room. I headed back to my room and layed down on my bed. Tomorrow was going to be interesting, just to see how Luke would integrate back into the flow of school.

**Luke's POV**

I had no clue how long that I had been topside, but it was long enough. I had watched the sun set in the west and now I was alone in the dark. The desert night was peaceful, something that I felt I needed. I didn't want to go back to school, with my prosthetic and scar, I was going to get a heck of a lot of attention. I sighed and stood up from my perch. I walked over to the elevator and went back down.

Ratchet was the only one around when I got down into the main room. "Umm, Ratchet?" I asked.

Ratchet looked away from his computer and looked at me quizzically, "Yes, Luke?" he asked.

"Is there something that we could do to hide my prosthetic?" I asked.

"No, the only way that you can hide it is by putting a sleeve or something over it and wearing a glove." Ratchet said.

"I thought so." I muttered, "Where's my room?"

"Your room is down by the training room." Nightshade said as he entered the room.

"Could you take me there?" I asked.

"Yeah, as long as you don't ditch me like you did when you first walked around here." Nightshade said with a slight smile.

I smiled back and walked over to where Nightshade was standing. He led me to a room that looked like a replica of the room that I had been in back in Jasper. "I designed it, try to make it more comfortable for you." Nightshade said.

"Thanks." I said, "This means a lot."

"No problem kid. I'll see you in the morning. We're leaving at 7:00." Nightshade said.

"Fine by me." I said.

"Night Luke, don't let the scraplets bite."

"The what?" I asked.

"Nothing, just a Cybertronian saying."

"Ah, well goodnight then Nightshade."

Nightshade nodded and exited the room. I walked over to my dresser and took out a pair of blue shorts. I then stripped out of pilots suit and placed the katana on top of the dresser. I put on the shorts and got into bed. The lights turned off and I closed my eyes. Tomorrow was going to be interesting, just to see how I integrate back into the flow and the society of school.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter XI

Understanding Among Friends

**Luke's POV**

My alarm went off at 6:30 and with a groan I shut it off. I sat up on my bed and rubbed my eyes, I then got out of bed and stretched. Walking over to my dresser, I kept thinking about the scar on my face and my prosthetic. I took out a black American Eagle shirt, black basketball shorts, a black sleeve to go over my prosthetic, a pair of socks, and lastly one of my old leather riding gloves. I put it all on and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked kind of nice in all black, considering I had black hair as well. The one thing that was unsettling to me were my blue eyes. I snapped myself out of distracting thoughts and went back to my dresser. I took the deodorant off the dresser top and applied it. I went over to my bed and took my phone off of its charger and put it in my pocket. I also took a hooded sweatshirt and put it on. I thought that the hood would be nice to have.

There was a knock on my door and I said, "Come in."

The door opened and Ben entered. "Hey, mom just finished breakfast, you want any?" he asked.

"No, I'm good, thanks." I replied. I turned around and followed Ben out.

Back in the main room, mom, Nightshade, Nightblaze, Jacen, Ben, and I each did different things. I went over to the ground bridge entrance, Ben was eating waffles, Jacen eating cereal, mom drinking coffee, and Nightshade and Nightblaze were eating Energon shards.

After standing where I was for about a minute, I turned back around and went to the platform with the TV on it. I walked over to the clutch and picked up my backpack from where it sat in front of the couch. "Ready?" Nightshade asked me.

I turned around and nodded. Nightshade extended a hand and I jumped on. After I was on his hand, Nightshade transformed into his Viper alt mode. I set my backpack on the passengers seat and the seatbelt secured itself over me. Nightshade drove forward and out of the base.

"You seem stressed, are you worried about today?" Nightshade asked.

"It's been what, about two weeks since I was in school last? Of course I'm a bit worried." I answered.

"Would you like to drive?"

"What!?" I exclaimed in surprise, "Wouldn't that be odd to have me drive you when you can easily drive yourself?"

Nightshade chuckled and replied, "Odd? No. Fun for you? Yes."

"If you insist, I'll drive. I admit, it'd be sweet to drive a Dodge Viper."

"I insist."

"Alright."

Holding the steering wheel, I took control of where we were going. I hadn't actually driven a car in about a year, not since I had gotten my Buell. About ten minutes later, I had parked in a spot that I usually had parked my Buell. Some of the kids were looking at Nightshade in awe. He deserved some kudos for his car choice, it was frickin awesome. I grabbed my backpack and was about to get out when keys materialized before my eyes. I looked at the stereo and waited for an explanation.

"They're real keys, just a precaution if I'm in recharge." Nightshade's voice said from the stereo.

"Fair enough." I said with a shrug, "See ya after school."

"Don't get into any trouble."

"Hey, it's me. What could happen?" I said with a smile.

"A lot could happen, get going."

I put my hood up and I was still smiling when I got out of the "car". I closed the door and shrugged my backpack onto my shoulders. I walked to the entrance of the school when I felt someone tap on my shoulders. I stopped and turned around. It was Vince. He had a smirk on his face, as usual, and looked in a good mood to try and pick a fight.

"Where've you been Porter? I've missed you." Vince said with mock concern.

"That is no concern of yours, Vince." I replied, "Now if you'd excuse me, I'll be leaving."

"But I won't excuse you." Vince said. Then as if he had just noticed my hood, he asked, "What's with the hood? Hiding your ugly ass face?"

Other students laughed when they heard that, I didn't care, I cracked a smile myself. "No, my face looks a lot better than yours." I said cooly, "If I remember correctly, I think your nose is a bit more crooked than it was last time I saw you."

The other students snickered when I said that, they had all seen the video of me humiliating Vince. Vince ground his jaw in anger, and he could sense that he was losing the support of the crowd. "So what if my nose is crooked?" he said with a shrug, "It adds character."

"Does it?" I asked with a cockeyed smile, I brought my hands up to my hood and before I lowered it I said, "I believe that this adds more character than a broken nose." Just as I said nose, I dropped my hood and showed my face. Vince stumbled backwards in shock and I smirked. "That's right pretty boy," I said, "take a nice long look. Motorcycle accidents happen, shit happens. But I can guarantee myself three things in life, taxes, death, and the ability to know when to back off and when to hit the throttle."

With that said, I walked inside the school and went to my first hour classroom. The door was open, but there wasn't a teacher inside. I went in and sat down at my desk and pulled out all the homework that I had completed during my absence, and stood back up. I walked over to the teachers desk and put the homework in the homework bin. Now that that was out of the way, I went and sat back down. The rest of today was going to be very interesting indeed.

_3:05 pm_

The school day ended and I was relieved. I went to my locker and walked right into Ben. "Sorry, Ben." I apologized.

"No problem, see you at home." Ben replied.

I nodded and unlocked my locker, grabbed my stuff, then closed the locker. I walked outside the school and breathed the fresh air. No one had talked to me today, they all had stared at my face, and gave me odd glances at my right arm. I hadn't cared, it was nice that people hadn't asked me where I had been. I got to Nightshade and "unlocked" the door, got in, and set my backpack on the passengers seat. I closed the door and the seatbelt latched itself.

"So, how was your first day back?" Nightshade asked as he backed out of the parking space and started driving.

"It was alright, nothin exciting happened." I replied.

"What did that red head want with you?"

"He wanted to try and start something."

"Start what?" Nightshade asked confused.

"Trying to start something refers to the fact that he tried to pick a fight with me." I clarified.

"I see, what happened then?"

"Nothing, I walked away."

"Alright. So what are ya going to do when we get back?"

"Homework."

"I don't understand, what's homework?"

"Seriously, no ones explained to you what school is?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Schools back on Cybertron where about learning how to do a specific job, there wasn't any work from school that we had to bring home. We learned what we needed to for the day and that was it." Nightshade said a bit defensive.

I chuckled, "Homework is the work we aren't able to finish in school that we bring home to finish." I informed Nightshade.

"Why didn't you just…" Nightshade started to say before he was interrupted.

"Optimus to Nightshade." Optimus' voice said through the speakers.

"Nightshade." Nightshade answered.

"Have you picked up Luke?" Optimus asked.

"Yeah, we're just getting onto the highway." I said.

"Nightshade, you need to get Luke out of there!"

"Why?" I asked.

"Fowler just called and informed us that MECH has figured out your identity, they somehow hacked into Sector 8's mainframe and stole all the information concerning you…including what Fowler reported about your special abilities." Optimus replied.

My heart almost stopped beating. A cold fist of fear and apprehension took root in my stomach. "What do you want me to do, sir?" Nightshade asked.

Get into the desert and we'll open a ground bridge to your position, from there we'll bring you back." Optimus said.

"Understood." Nightshade said.

"Beware, MECH is coming for him, they will do anything to get their hands on him, just like the Decepticons if they get the chance."

"Understood, sir."

Nightshade sped up and weaved in and out of traffic. We finally got to an exit, and we took it. Nightshade sped up to 125 mph and took off info the desert. I heard the sound of a sonic boom and was about to say something when there was an explosion right in front of Nightshade. The breaks squealed and we spun out of control, right into a Decepticon trap. "Scrap!" Nightshade cursed.

"Transform." I said.

"What?"

"Just trust me, transform." I asserted.

"Alright." Nightshade said grudgingly.

Nightshade transformed and I was sitting on his shoulder. There were ten Decepticon soldiers, and Megatron himself.

"Give up the fleshling." Megatron commanded.

"No." Nightshade said.

"Decepticons…" Megatron started to yell.

"Oi!" I yelled as I stood up on Nightshade's shoulder. In shock Megatron turned to look at me. I jumped off of Nightshade's shoulder and landed lightly on the ground. "You want me, come and get me, but do it as a human. Fight me as a human."

"Why would I do that fleshling?" Megatron snarled.

"Because, if you don't and you fight me as a Cybertronian you'll look like a coward. Won't fight fairly against a human because you believe yourself to be superior. But that would be cowardly. Fight me fair. If you beat me, I'll come with you and will never leave. If I beat you, you back off." I told Megatron.

"Luke, you're insane!" Nightshade hissed, "Megatron will never abide…"

"It's a deal fleshling!" Megatron announced.

I turned and looked back at Nightshade, "You were saying?" I asked him. I turned back to Megatron and saw that he was projecting a laser in front of me. Then, a man materialized in front of me.

The holoform of Megatron looked a heck of a lot like Brock Lesnar, but more built and a heck of a lot meaner. "Are you ready, fleshling?" Megatron asked me.

"Yeah," I said as I removed my sweatshirt, "are you?" I threw my sweatshirt on the ground and took a defensive stance, hopefully if my plan worked out the way I thought it would, Nightshade would contact Optimus, Optimus would come with the rest of the Autobots, drive Megatron away, and I wouldn't have to worry about this for another month. Megatron simply smiled at me and settled into a stance I had never seen before.

"You don't know what you're getting into child, I was a gladiator of Kaon, do you really think you can best me? Optimus Prime himself has yet to best me." Megatron sneered.

"But you haven't bested him yet either." I pointed out. As I charged forward and delivered a superman punch. Megatron sidestepped it and kneed me in the gut.

I spun around and my elbow connected with Megatron's holoform. I took a step forward and delivered a roundhouse kick. Megatron blocked it and counterattacked with a jab to my face. I stumbled backwards and took a defensive stance, I was going to have to try unorthodox methods if I wanted to escape with my life. Megatron advanced towards me and I delivered a butterfly kick to his holoforms head. Megatron stumbled backwards and I landed in a crouch. Megatron charged and attacked with jab after jab, followed by elbows, then kicks and knees. I blocked the jabs and the elbows, as well as some of the kicks and knees, but most connected with my stomach and one to the face. I stepped back from my opponent and spit out a glob of blood.

"Are you ready to give up fleshling?" Megatron asked with an evil smile.

"I…I was about to ask…you the same thing." I said between breaths.

A ground bridge opened behind the Decepticons and all the Autobots minus Ratchet entered the area. Megatron turned around confused, I took advantage of that and attacked the holoform. I tackled it to the ground and put the holoform into an anaconda choke and twisted the neck. The Autobots attacked the Decepticons, and I held onto the holoform of Megatron's for dear life, trying to choke the life out of the holoform. The holoform phased out and I was left groping air. I got onto my feet and ran to cover.

"Decepticons! Fall back!" Megatron roared.

I poked my head out from behind a rock I had taken refuge behind, and Optimus approached me. "Hey, Optimus." I said.

"What were you thinking?" Arcee interjected.

"Hey, Arcee." I said. I took a couple of breaths then continued, "I was thinking that if I could keep Megatron occupied, that you guys would get contacted by Nightshade and come and drive the Cons away."

"You couldn't gotten killed!" Arcee exclaimed.

I shook my head, "No, I don't think so." I said, "Megatron definitely wants me alive for his own purposes."

"You agreed to Luke's plan?" Optimus asked Nightshade.

"It made sense to me, sir. It seemed like the only way that we'd get out of the jam the Cons put us in." Nightshade answered.

"That was an immense lapse of judgement." Optimus said in a disapointed tone.

"It wasn't his fault, Optimus." I insisted.

"We'll discuss this back at base." Optimus said. The Prime then touched his ear and said, "Ratchet, open up a ground bridge."

A ground bridge opened and I was scooped up by Nightshade and then brought through. Nightshade then set me down on the human platform and the rest of the Autobots dispersed until only Optimus, Nightshade, Arcee, and Ratchet were left. I felt my face and winced as I felt a spot where Megatron's kick had caught me. It was a bit inflamed, I was pretty sure a bruise would form. "Could I have an ice pack?" I asked Ratchet.

Rarchet nodded and walked away to go get ice. Optimus looked down at me and I met his gaze. "I did what I had to do, Optimus." I said.

"I don't condone what you did, Luke." Optimus said sternly, "I just want you to be more careful in the future."

Ratchet returned with an ice pack and handed it to me. I nodded my thanks and put it on my left cheek. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell my mother." I said.

"Tell me what?" my mother said as she entered the room with her arms crossed.

I winced and turned to face her. "Hi mom." I said.

"You've been fighting again, haven't you?" she accused.

"In a way, yeah I did fight." I admitted.

"Who was it this time?"

"Megatron."

My moms face fell and she seemed to age ten years. "I'm glad you're safe then. Just be more careful." my mom said softly.

"I'll do my best mom. I can't make any promises." I said.

"Go do your homework, I need to talk to Optimus alone."

I nodded and Nightshade extended his hand, I climbed on, and together we went to my room.

**Ben's POV**

It had been an hour now since the Autobots and Luke had returned to base. I desperately wanted to know what had happened, but Luke had refused to talk to anybody. He just kept himself locked in his room. I had asked Nightshade, but he wouldn't tell me anything. I went to Luke's room and knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Luke's voice answered.

"It's me, Ben." I responded.

The door opened and Luke had a bruise on his left cheek and he looked pretty battered. "What can I help you with?" he asked.

"I just would like to know what happened today." I said honestly.

Luke sighed, stepped aside and allowed me to enter his room. "I thought that so." Luke said as I entered his room.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I just fought one of the wickedest beings ever, and got my ass pretty much handed to me on a silver platter. Of course I'm not alright." Luke said.

"So, can you tell me what exactly happened?"

"Not exactly what happened, but I can give you the bare minimum details." Luke replied looking me in the eye as he sat down his bed. I nodded and Luke continued, "Basically, Optimus called Nightshade and told him MECH had figured out that I had been the one that had given Sector 8 all of their plans and destroyed their mainframe. In order to get away from them, because Optimus said that they were following us, we got off the highway and into the desert. We were attacked by Cons and Megatron demanded that I was given up. I refused and instead challenged him to a one on one fight. But now, I'm pretty sure that it was the Decepticons that had contacted me and Nightshade."

"I see, so the Cons almost had you for a third time." I said.

"Precisely. I'll talk with you tomorrow, I need to put myself into a type of trance, like a meditation." Luke said.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"So that I can heal."

"I understand. See ya tomorrow."

Luke nodded and I left the room. I had to wonder, if Jacen and I had the same powers as Luke, why haven't we been able to access it yet?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter XII

Tryouts

**Jacen's POV**

I had been surprised that Luke had willingly fought Megatron to buy time for Optimus and the Autobots to rescue him. When we were getting ready to leave for school, I was shocked that Luke looked exactly like he had before he had fought Megatron. Luke looked tired, but that was about it. I walked over to him and he gave me a tired nod.

"Are you going to basketball tryouts after school?" I asked.

"Of course." Luke answered. He blinked his eyes as if he were just waking up, then said, "I don't know how good anyone else here is, I'm pretty sure that we'll just show up and we'll make the team."

I chuckled and put my hand on Luke's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Level with me here," I said, "are you sure you're fine?"

"Yeah, as fine as I'll ever be." Luke said.

"Alright, see you after school at the tryouts."

Luke just nodded and I went over to Nightblaze. "Ready?" I asked him.

Nightblaze nodded and transformed. I got in and we drove off. "What's going on between you and Luke?" Nightblaze asked.

"I'm not sure." I said as I looked out the window. "Luke seems to be distancing himself from everyone, especially after he came back from rescuing mom."

"I'd be surprised if Luke wasn't suffering from PTSD." Nightblaze said.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." I mused. "Sounds plausible."

"It's something that we all go through after we've seen battle." Nightblaze said. "Well, if you have a conscious, that is."

"Nightblaze, would it be alright if I just called you Blaze?" I asked.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. Go right ahead." Blaze said.

We pulled into our parking space, and I said goodbye to Blaze. I got out of him, and headed to class. The school day went by without a hitch, the basketball tryouts, that was interesting.

Luke, Ben, and I were probably the most experienced from what I saw, some couldn't shoot a free throw to save their lives, some couldn't dribble well, some couldn't shoot the ball, some couldn't even pass the ball well. From what I had heard from the players from last years team, the Jasper Jaguars were a joke when it came to basketball. They had failed to make the playoffs since 1991.

I could tell that Luke and Ben were both holding back during the tryouts. They didn't want to embarrass the other kids, I was of the same opinion. At 7:00 pm the tryouts ended. The majority of the kids left gassed and out of energy, whereas Ben, Luke, and I were barely tired.

The next day, we found out that there were only enough people who had made the team for Varsity. Ben and I were both technically Shooting Guards, Luke was technically a Point Guard, but at the first day of practice Ben was starting Point Guard, I was starting Shooting Guard, and Luke was starting Small Forward. The Power Forward was one of the few skilled players. His name was Jerome Johnson. He was African American and stood at 6'-9". The starting Center was another African American kid, standing 6'-11" he was the tallest in the school. His name was Brian James. Luke, Ben, and I quickly became friends with Brian and Jerome. Our first game was in a week, we'd be hosting the defending State Champions, the Las Vegas Bandits.

At the end of the weeks practice drew to a close, Coach Klark gathered us into a huddle at center court. He looked at the ten of us and started a speech, "Alright, this is my first year coaching here, men. I don't expect a lot of success with the past track record for this team, but I tell you now, this group of ten is the best I've ever coached. The Porters are a valuable asset, James a frickin beast at Center, not to mention JJ at Power Forward. The rest of you, Sanders, Peterson, Anderson, LaRoach, and Ross your jobs are the most important. You may be backups, but without backups sustaining the pressure that the starters generate, there can not be any victories. Those Bandits expect an easy victory, lets prove those idiots that they're going to have to earn every point! As for team captains, if anybody had any nominations speak or forever hold your peace."

Everyone looked at Luke and I had to agree. Luke knew how to lead others, knew what buttons to press to make people better without making them completely pissed. "The men have spoken, Luke." Coach Klark said with a smile.

"Umm, I'm honored and everything but I'm new here. I don't want to assert myself." Luke said.

"We all respect you Luke, we all trust you." Brian said in a deep, relaxed voice.

"Yeah, we'd nominate you captain any time." John Anderson pitched in.

I smiled at my twin and put my hand on his left shoulder, and Ben put his hand on the right. "We've got your back." I said.

Ben nodded in agreement and Luke cracked a smile, his first genuine smile since he fought Megatron.

"It's settled then, time to pick numbers!" Coach said.

John Anderson took number 5, he was my back up at SG. He was my height and white. Jerome Johnson took 35 after his favorite player, Kevin Durant. Brian took number 3. Kyle Peterson, Ben's backup took number 55, he was Ben's height, and Caucasian. I should say this now, Jerome and Brian were the only African Americans on the team. Todd Peterson, Luke's backup took number 13, he was 6'-3". Carter Ross, JJ's backup at 6'-6" took number 6. Alex LaRoach, Brian's backup at 6'-10", took number 23. Ben chose number 9, it was his number for almost every sport. I chose number 10, it was my number basically in almost every sport. Lastly, Luke chose the number that he always took, number 8. Coach Klark took Luke's jersy and said that he'd get a golden C put on it.

The weekend passed and our first game on the second Monday of December loomed ahead. The Autobots were going to be in attendance as holoforms and they'd be sitting with Jack, Miko, Raf, my mom, and Aunt June. As a requirement, all of the basketball players dressed up in suits. When school ended, all of us basketball players went into the lockerroom and went to our lockers.

"Anybody got any music?" Brian asked.

"Yeah, I do." Luke said. Luke went over to the speakers that were in the lockerroom and hooked up his iPod. He hit play and Back For More by Five Finger Death Punch started playing.

Our coach walked in after twenty minutes with a box and set it down on a bench and beckoned us all to him. Luke paused the music, which at the moment was Get Up by Korn featuring Skrillex.

"Alright gentlemen. Your uniforms are here." Coach Klark said as he opened the box.

I looked in the box and was stunned to see brand new uniforms. The jersy was an all black body with golden stripes going down the sides. On the front of the jersys was a golden jaguar head with golden cursive spelling Jasper. On the backs were our numbers and names. Luke's, Ben's and my own jersys had it written as L. PORTER for Luke's, B. PORTER for Ben, and J. PORTER for me. The shorts were all black with golden stripes running down the sides as well. But what was really cool, was seeing the golden C on Luke's jersy. "Get ready to roll, gentlemen. Tipoff is at 5:30. Warm ups are at 5:00!" Coach Klark said.

"Yes, sir." came the chorus of response.

**Luke's POV**

I was shocked at how nice the jersys looked. I went to my locker and took off my suit jacket. I unbuttoned the white dress shirt and undid my black tie. I slipped my right arm through the sleeve and then put on a black sleeve that would cover my arm from my wrist to elbow. I took a black glove and put it on my right hand. With that done, I finished taking the dress clothes off, as well as my boxers. I put on compression shorts and then pulled on the new basketball shorts. I pulled the jersy over my head and looked down to see the golden C on my left pectoral, where people place their hands when reciting the pledge of allegiance, or listening to the national anthem. I sat down on the bench below me and put on black ankle socks. I took the black basketball shoes and placed them on the bench next to me. I seperated a small bag that contained golden shoelaces from the other plastic that the uniforms had come in and carefully laced them into the shoes. I then put the shoes on and tied them nice and tight.

Coach Klark came back in and asked what song we wanted to be playing when we hit the court for warm ups. "Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson." Ben said.

Coach nodded and walked back out of the lockerroom. I pulled on my warm ups and stood at the front of the lockerroom door. The rest of the team lined up behind me and we left the lockerroom and stood outside the gym. The intro to Sweet Dreams started and I ran onto the court. Coach Klark bounced a ball to me and I took it in stride, dribbling as I ran down court to the hoop we would be defending in the game. I elevated once I got to the free throw line and dunked the ball. Our fans went wild when they saw me do that. I landed and went behind the baseline and saw JJ dunk, followed by Brian, the rest of the team just did layups. I was jumping up and down, just barely elevating, and moving my neck side to side. The five starters took of our warm ups and went behind the three point line. Our backups, still wearing their warm ups, took a ball and checked it to me. I passed the ball to Ben and rotated to the corner. We set up plays and ran some for five minutes, then switched to defense for five minutes. After that, we just shot around to warm up.

I found my corner and just kept draining three pointers. Jacen was doing free throws, and Ben was working on his fadeaways. The warm up period ended and we went to our bench.

"Good evening." our gym teacher said through a microphone. He was sitting behind a bench that controlled the electrical score board with two other teachers, a history teacher and a science teacher. "Welcome to the season opener of our Jasper Jaguars boys Varsity basketball. Tonight the Jaguars will be taking on defending State Champs, the Las Vegas Bandits. Please, rise, gentlemen remove your caps, and face the flag at the south of the gym. Singing tonight's National Anthem, Jasmine Raddke."

We stood up and faced the flag and stood with our hands clasped behind our backs while Jasmine a girl a year younger than Jacen and I took the microphone. She had jet black hair, green eyes, and a nice personality. "Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming;

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:

Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

The crowd clapped and I nodded. We starters sat back down and the backups formed a tunnel for us to go through. "And now, the starting lineup for your Jasper Jaguars!" the gym teacher said. As the intro to 'Till I Collapse started the teacher continued, "Starting at Center, at six feet and eleven inches tall, Brian James!" Brian stood up and walked through the tunnel and stood there facing us. "At Power Forward at six feet and nine inches, Jerome Johnson!" James ran through the tunnel and did a chest bump with Brian. "At six feet and two inches, and the Jaguars captain starting at Small Forward, Luke Porter!" I stood up and walked through the tunnel. I got to Brian and we just did an elaborate handshake. "At Shooting Guard at six feet and two inches, Jacen Porter." Jacen got up walked to the tunnel and he and Brian did a fistbump and when Jacen got to me, we did a one, two, punch. "At Point Guard at six feet and an inch, Ben Porter." Ben stood up walked through the tunnel and gave a salute to Brian.

The Bandits were introduced and we starters shook hands. Their Center was the same height as Brian was, so the opening jump was going to be interesting. The ball was tossed and Brian won the tip. Ben got the ball and the game began.

At the end of the first half, we were down 55-48. I had twelve of those points, shooting four for four from beyond the ark, I had three steals, two rebounds, and four assists. Jacen had ten points, three boards, and three addicts. Ben had twenty points and six assists. Brian had two points, ten rebounds, and a block. Jerome had two points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Coach didn't say anything, he just said that he'd be waiting for the defense to show up.

Halftime ended and we did play better defense, at the end of the third quarter we were tied 70-70, I now had twenty points and still two assists, but now I had three steals and two blocks, and ten rebounds. The Bandits coach looked absolutely PO'ed that his State Champs were tied with the lowest of the low. The fourth started and the first play I got a steal and at the free throw line I elevated and as I dunked, I was tackled to the ground. A whistle blew and I turned around and saw that it was their Center who had tackled me. I winced in pain as I stood back up. My right knee was throbbing, considering I had landed on it. "Oops." the guy said with a smirk.

I smiled back at him and went to the free throw line, I made the bucket and hobbled back to play defense. The Center got the ball and as he went for a layup, I blocked the shot up against the backboard. I passed the ball to Ben and he set up the play. The Center was guarding me and Ben got me the ball. I chucked the ball at the guys balls and they hit him square on. He crumbled to the ground and I got the ball back. I passed it to Jacen who was wide open behind the ark, and he sunk the shot. I looked down at the Center and said, "Oops."

The game ended with a Jaguar win, 91-85. My knee was extremely sore and I was taken to the trainers room. I was sitting shirtless on an examining table waiting for the trainer to come in, to my surprise it was Aunt June. "Good game tonight, Luke." she said.

"Thanks Auntie." I said.

"Now, let me look at your knee."

Aunt June did a number of tests and I hadn't even noticed that my knee was swollen until she told me. Aunt June applied a little pressure to my knee and I winced. "How bad is it?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"I'm saying that you have a slight tear in your MCL, not a complete tear, and that you've sprained it as well as the ACL." Aunt June said.

"Will I be able to keep playing?" I asked.

"Not for a couple of weeks."

I ran my hand through my hair and let out a disapointed sigh. "Alright." I said.

"How's your arm?"

"What?" I asked confused, "I didn't hurt my arm."

"You know what I mean, your arm." Aunt June said gesturing at my right arm.

"Oh, I'm still dealing with some phantom pains, not much but enough to be discomforting." I admitted.

"Hopeful that will pass with time." Aunt June said, "Alright, I'll just give you a knee brace here and I'll see you later."

"Thanks." I said as the Autobots walked in followed by my siblings and my mom.

"That was one hell of a game, Luke." Ben said as he patted my shoulder.

"Great job, loved the move you pulled on their Center." Jacen said with a big grin.

"Thanks." I said with a smile. I looked over at Nightshade and said, "I just need to shower and change, then I'll be ready to go."

"Alright, how's the knee?" Nightshade asked.

"I slightly tore the MCL and sprained both my ACL and MCL." I said.

"So I take it that you won't be able to play for a bit." Ben said.

"No," I said with a grimace as I slid off the examining table, "not for a while. I'm going to shower, I feel gross."

With that said, I hobbled my way back to the lockerroom and took the rest of my uniform off once I got to my locker. I put a towel around my waist and hobbled to the showers,

**Ben's POV**

I was surprised that Luke was able to keep his composure when he said that he'd be out for a while. I could tell that there was something else bugging him, maybe phantom pains. "Ready to go?" Shadow asked me.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I answered. I walked out of the school following Shadow's holoform. We got to her alt mode and I got on first, then her holoform behind me. We rode out of the city and once we got to the desert, Shadow deactivated her holoform.

"Tired?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, a bit. How can you tell?"

"Your heart rate is dipping down a bit, nothing serious but enough to catch my attention."

"Oh, so what are your plans for tomorrow?" I asked trying to stay awake.

"Bringing you to school, picking you up from school, and that's about it." Shadow answered.

We got to the base and I got off of her as she then transformed. "Get some sleep kid, you're dead on your feet." Shadow said with a smile.

"Alright. What time will we leave?" I asked.

"We'll leave around 7:15."

I nodded and headed to my room. I got to my dresser and took out clothes that I'd wear tomorrow and set them on top of the dresser. I slipped off my dress clothes and put on my sleeping shorts. I crawled into bed and shut the lights off.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter XIII

Experimentation

**Luke's POV**

Three weeks have gone by since the first game of the season. We had played ten games during those three weeks, and we were ranked number two overall in the state. Basketball here was a shortened season, a very short one. We made the playoffs with a 10-1 record. I had been averaging 20.3 points a game, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 10 assists, and 1.01 blocks per game. Ben averaged 15.46 points a game, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 13.2 assists, and 1 block a game. Jacen finished the regular season averaging 18.92 points per game, 5.67 rebounds, 1 steal, 10 assists, and 2 blocks a game.

We finished the season with a State Championship on January twenty fourth with a win over the Las Vegas Bandits, 100-77. Jasper's first basketball Championship. It was now the twenty eighth of January, and it was going to be mine and Jacen's last day of high school. We had enough credits to graduate, so we took that option. I was going to go fully into Sector 8's Air Force division, and hopefully teaching Jacen how to use his powers.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Jacen asked me with concern.

I smiled, we were back at the Autobot base in the training room. I had created some robots that I'd be able to controll to use for sparring purposes. "I'm about 85% certain." I said with a grin.

I started the robots and they attacked Jacen, I had made it simple, he couldn't attack using any part of his body, he could block just not attack. Jacen evaded the blows coming from the robots and I could see the frustration building, he wasn't able to fight back and that ticked him off. He finally extended his right hand and yelled, "ENOUGH!" and lightning launched from his fingertips and hit the robots overloading their circuitry. He looked at the smoldering robots in astonishment and back down at his hands.

"Good job." I said with a smile, "Think you can do it voluntarily?"

In response I had to absorb a small blast of lightning. "Thanks, I was critical about your teaching style, but it worked." Jacen said.

"Yeah, next time, try not to attack the teacher." I said smugly.

"How does your other power work?" Jacen asked me curiously.

"I'm not sure, but let me get a couple of things and you'll be able to watch." I said. I went to my room and grabbed the katana from atop of my dresser and an M-16 carbine rifle. I went back to the training room and handed Jacen the gun, and some ammo. "I want you to shoot at me."

"What! You've lost your damn mined!" Jacen exclaimed in shock.

"Trust me." I said looking into my brothers eyes.

"Fine, but if I accidentally shoot you, I'm blaming you." Jacen said.

"Wouldn't expect it any other way." I replied as I went across the room and took a good two handed grip on the katanas hilt. "Ready?" I asked Jacen.

"Yeah, you?"

"Just aim and shoot."

Jacen shook his head and took a good firing stance, then fired a burst of ten shots. Time seemed to slow down and I was able to see the bullets coming at me, it was like the scene out of X-Men Origins: Wolverine when Deadpool deflects all the bullets with his own katanas. I deflected all the bullets and looked at a shocked Jacen.

"Holy Shit!" Jacen exclaimed, "That was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen!"

"I know, I'm starting to wonder if we're like mutants or something along those lines." I said as I set the katana on the ground.

"I'm starting to think the same thing." Jacen agreed.

"What do you think about the synthetic Energon formula?" I asked my twin.

"I'm sure Ratchet forgot a lot of important ingredients. It kind of makes me wonder what the implications of his semi success are." Jacen said.

"I copied the plates down." I told Jacen, "You wanna try and make some?"

"You have lost your mind," Jacen decided, "we don't have the resources to make it or try to make it."

"What my thoughts are is that Ratchet just lacked a strong enough power supply."

"And we do?"

"Yes, we do."

"Where?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" I asked, "We have it because it's in us!"

"You can't be serious, you think that lightning will cure the liquid of its impurities and make it into a usable Energon source."

"Exactly. I have a hunch that we can solve the Energon crisis for the Autobots, it's the least we can do for them. They have given us a home, Jace." I said.

"Now your trying to guilt me into helping." Jacen groaned.

"So will you help?" I asked.

"Of course, do you even have to ask?" Jacen replied.

"Let's get to work!"

Jacen and I found a room that wasn't being used by anybody, and we set up shop there. Jacen gathered the ingredients and I started to set up the equipment that we'd be using. I finished setting up the lab equipment and Jacen gathered all the ingredients that he could. "Got everything?" I asked as Jacen set down an extremely large bundle.

"Everything you asked for, you get everything?" Jacen asked.

"Yeah, let's see how well our attempt goes."

"Be my guest."

I smiled and started to mix the ingredients together, I then looked at the formula that I had copied down. I started to smell something akin to sulfur and gave a burst of lightning into the green brew. "What do you think?" I asked Jacen.

"I think that it definitely smells like Energon." Jacen answered with a look of disgust at the smell.

"I agree with that assessment."

I kept mixing the brew until it turned into the greenish color that it had been when Ratchet had made it. "Jacen, take the ladle."

Jacen took the ladle and I stepped back away from the pot. "What are you going to do?" Jacen asked.

"See if I can purify it." I answered as I gathered as much energy as I could into my left hand. I took a deep breath and shot lightning out of my hand. The lightning hit the synthetic Energon and I kept the lightning going. I was starting to get a bit tired due to the excessive lightning usage.

"It's working, Luke, it's working!" Jacen exclaimed astonished.

"That's great, Jacen. Anything coming out as a solid?" I asked.

"Yeah, it looks like a black rock, but it isn't a rock."

"That'd be the impurities." I said. I gritted my teeth and continued my lightning barrage on the Energon.

After half an hour, I finally stopped the lightning and collapsed onto the floor. Jacen rushed over and helped me up. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'm…I'm a bit tired." I said sleepily.

"What in the name of Primus is going on in here?"

I blinked and Jacen helped me turn around. Ratchet was standing in the doorway looking at the two of us and our mixture. "Hey, Ratchet." I said in a low, exhausted voice.

"What's wrong with him?" Ratchet asked Jacen as he examined me with his laser thing. "His heart rate is dipping and his blood pressure is fluctuating at a deadly rate."

"Luke might have overextended himself." Jacen said as he held me upright.

"How so?" Ratchet asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Look…look in the pot." I said. I blinked a couple of times and then all I knew was darkness.

**Jacen's POV**

"Shit!" I swore as Luke just became entirely limp.

"What's wrong?" Ratchet asked.

"Luke's gone unconscious." I said as I layed my twin down. I looked up at Ratchet and said, "Just go and check the pot. Hopefully you'll be able to do something with it."

Ratchet went over to the pot and looked down. He turned around and looked at me and Luke, "What have you two done?" he asked.

"Luke created a synthetic Energon, I just helped get the ingredients." I said.

"How did the two of you know how to make synthetic Energon?" asked Ratchet.

"Umm, Luke sort of copied down the formula." I said with a nervous chuckle.

Ratchet just raised an eyebrow in response. "Well, congratulations, the two of you succeeded in creating Energon." he said. Ratchet then turned his attention to my unconscious brother and walked over to us, picked Luke up off the floor and walked out of the room.

"Where are you going?" I asked Ratchet as I followed him out of the room.

"To the med bay." Ratchet answered.

I didn't say anything, nothing could really be said. I watched as Ratchet scanned Luke and drew some blood. I sat patiently as Ratchet worked, but became distracted when Nightshade and Blaze walked into the room. "What happened?" Nightshade asked when he saw his charge on a hospital bed.

"Luke overextended himself." I said.

"Doing what!?" Nightshade asked.

"Creating synthetic Energon." Ratchet said.

"Does Optimus know?" Blaze asked.

"No, he went scouting a while back. I only found these two after my scanners picked up an energy spike within the base." Ratchet said. He the gasped and breathed, "By the Allspark!"

"What?" Nightshade, Blaze, and I asked in unison.

"There aren't any of those cells within Luke anymore!" Ratchet said.

"What cells?" I asked confused.

"The ones that enabled him to generate lightning, they're gone!" Ratchet exclaimed.

I was shocked, "Whay about the other cells?" I asked. Ratchet looked at me with a face that made me explain further. "The cells that give us our other powers, well with Luke anyway."

"The mutant genes that you speak of are still there, just not the lightning cells." Ratchet said.

I leaned back into the chair I was sitting on and nodded. "Will the other cells come back?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, only time will tell." Ratchet said.

"That's all I need to know."

_Two Hours Later_

It had now been two hours since Luke had passed out, I was still in the med bay. Luke groaned and I looked up from the book I was reading and over to him. Luke's eyes cracked open and he turned and looked at me. "Hey." he grumbled in a tired voice.

"Nice to see you awake. There's a repeating trend here that you keep showing up in the med bay." I said.

"A trend I'd like to break." Luke said as he sat up on the bed and swung his legs off the matress.

"You should take it easy." I said.

"Not likely, now with things to do."

"What things?"

"Well for starters, I'm famished." Luke said. He stood up and took a step forward and wobbled. I caught him and gave him some support. "Not to mention that I need to go get groceries, I told mom that I would."

"How bout I get groceries and you stay here and rest?"

"Sounds like a plan, but I don't want to be here in the med bay."

"Where do you wanna be then?"

"Back in my room."

"Alright, I'm hoping that you aren't going to do anything stupid when I'm out."

Luke chuckled and together we walked out of the med bay. "How long was I out?" Luke asked once we got to his room.

"Roughly two hours, why?"

"Just curious."

I nodded and my brother went inside his room. The door closed and I walked away. I found Blaze and asked him for a ride into town so I could get groceries.

**Luke's POV**

I sat down onto my bed and I can't explain, but I felt odd. I tried to create lightning, but all I got was a whole lot of nothing. _I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that I generated so much lightning to purge the impurities from the Energon. Maybe I've exhausted those cells, or I've completely lost them. _I thought. I then laid back completely on my bed and closed my eyes, I still felt extremely tired. I started to drift off into the ever welcoming realm of dreams.

**Authors Note:**

**Thank you to Princess of Dreams for reviewing. **

**Please R&R **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter XIV

Battle of the Bands

**Ben's POV**

School had ended and I was pretty sure that my brothers would end up killing me. I walked over to Shadow and got on. We headed for the base and once we got onto the highway Shadow asked, "What's eating at you, kid?"

"I did something stupid." I muttered.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I'll explain when I talk to my brothers."

"Alright, how was the school day then?"

"It was alright. I'm extremely bored."

"You didn't fall asleep again, did you?"

"No, don't worry about me doing that."

We got to the base and saw Luke and Jacen sitting up on the platform on the couch. I got off of Shadow and she transformed into her bipedal form and I walked over and up to my brothers. Luke looked tired and had a weary look in his eyes, Jacen looked fine and from the looks of things, they had been discussing something. "Hey, Ben." Jacen greeted. Luke just nodded in greeting.

"Hey, I have something to ask you guys." I said as I rubbed the back of my head.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"Would the two of you be in a band with me for the Battle of the Bands competition?" I asked.

"When's the competition?" Jacen asked.

"In a week." I answered.

"Why so little notice?" Luke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was getting…ummm…I was getting some bad remarks from someone in my grade and his band. I kind of said to him without thinking that my band would kick his bands ass at the competition." I said, "And I was hoping that you'd be my band with me."

Both Luke's and Jacen's faces fell from interested looks to disapointed and annoyed looks. "Ben, how many times over the years have you been told to think before you say something?" Luke asked. I opened my mouth but Luke kept going. "I'm not exactly pleased with how the band was formed here, but I'll think about it."

"I agree with Luke. I don't need to think on it though, I'll be in the band." Jacen said.

"Thanks, Jace, thank you so…" I was saying.

"One question though," Jacen interrupted, "when was the last time you played the drums?"

"Ummm…I don't know." I admitted.

Luke raised an eyebrow and shook his head in disbelief. "You're saying that you challenged this guys band, and you don't even know when the last time you played the drums was? You've got to be joking." he said.

"Hey, I'll warm myself back up to it." I promised.

"How? We don't exactly have access to a drum kit, do we?" Jacen asked,

I looked over at Luke with pleading eyes and Luke groaned.

"I can't believe it, you seriously expect me to go and buy you a drum kit!" Luke said exasperated.

"Please." I begged.

"Fine, but you owe me big time!"

_An Hour Later_

Luke had gone out and gotten me a nice drum kit, as well as a couple of new guitars for himself and a couple of new bass guitars for Jacen. Luke got himself a Gibson SG guitar that had a red body, black pick guard, and an ebony neck, the second guitar was a Gibson Les Paul similar looking to the one that Slash uses.

"What songs do you want to play?" Luke asked me.

"I have no idea." I said.

"You usually have ideas, Luke." Jacen said.

Luke smiled and looked at me and asked, "How many songs can we perform?"

"Four." I answered.

Luke's smile turned into a grin, "Excellent, meet me in the room next to mine." he said as he disappeared with his guitars.

Jacen and I looked at each other and just shrugged and followed Luke.

_Day of the competition, 18:00 pm: Jasper High_

**Luke's POV**

I looked at my brothers and gave Ben an encouraging nod. Ben nodded back and Jacen gave me a smile. Tonight was going to be epic. I had my two guitars, and I somehow convinced Miko to let me borrow hers. "We're performing last." I said.

"Is that good or bad?" Ben asked.

"It's good, very good." I said.

"May I ask why?" Jacen asked.

"Because, then we won't have the judges full attention, our first song will get their attention back, we'll hold onto their attention then throughout the rest of our songs." I said.

We waited until 21:00 before our band name was called, Jacen had come up with the name. "And now, the last act of the night, Defiance!" the principle introduced. The curtain drew back and revealed Ben sitting behind his drum kit, Jacen standing to Ben's right with his bass, and me standing to their lefts with Miko's guitar. I stepped forward to the microphone and Jacen stepped towards his. I gave the judged a nod and signaled to Ben and Jacen with a tap of my left foot. Ben tapped his drumsticks together and I started the song:

It's 8 AM, this Hell I'm in

Seems I've crossed the line again

For being nothing more than who I am

So break my bones and throw your stones

We all know that life ain't fair

But there is more of us, we're everywhere

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all

All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully

Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely

Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt

Can you hear me?

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die

You're a bully

Think it through, you can't undo

Whenever I see black and blue

I feel the past, I share the bruise

With everyone who's come and gone

My head is clear, my voice is strong, now I'm right here to right the wrong

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all

All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully

Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely

Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt

Can you hear me?

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die

You're a bully

(Guitar Solo, no words sung)

It's 8 AM, the Hell I'm in!

Your voice is strong, now right the wrong!

All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully

Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely

Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt

Can you hear me?

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die

You're a bully

All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully

Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely

Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt

Can you hear me?

No one's gonna cry on the very day you die

You're a bully

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all

We don't have to take this, back against the wall

We don't have to take this, we can end it all.

The song ended and we were met with thunderous applause. I signaled for Raf to come onto the stage and I exchanged Miko's guitar for my Les Paul. I turned tapped my right foot this time and started the next song:

The secret side of me, I never let you see

I keep it caged but I can't control it

So stay away from me, the beast is ugly

I feel the rage and I just can't hold it

It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls

It comes awake and I can't control it

Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head

Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster

My secret side I keep hid under lock and key

I keep it caged but I can't control it

'Cause if I let him out he'll tear me up, break me down

Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster

It's hiding in the dark, it's teeth are razor sharp

There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart

No one can hear me scream, maybe it's just a dream

Maybe it's inside of me, stop this monster

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I've gotta lose control, he something radical

I must confess that I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster

The song ended and more applause reached us. Our third song started and it goes like this:

Oh, Devon

Won't go to heaven

She's just another lost soul, about to be mine again

Leave her

We will receive her

It is beyond your control

Will you ever meet again

Devon

One of Eleven

Who had been rendered unwhole

As a little child.

She was taken

And then forsaken

You will remember it all

Let it fill your mind again

Devon lies beyond this portal

Take the word of one immortal

Give your soul to me

For eternity

Release your life

To begin another time with her

End your grief with me

There's another way

Release your life

Take your place inside the fire with her

Sever

Now and forever

You're just another lost soul about to be mine again

See her, you'll never free her

You must surrender it all

If you'd like to meet again

Fire

For you desire

As she begins to turn cold for the final time

You will shiver

Till you deliver

You will remember it all

Let it fill your mind again

Devon lies beyond this portal

Take the word of one immortal

Give your soul to me

For eternity

Release your life

To begin another time with her

End your grief with me

There's another way

Release your life

Take your place inside the fire with her

(Guitar Solo, nothing is sung)

Give your soul to me

For eternity

Release your life

To begin another time with her

End your grief with me

There's another way

Release your life

Take your place inside the fire with her

Devon

One of Eleven

Who had been rendered unwhole

As a little child.

She was taken,

And then forsaken

You will remember it all

Let it fill your mind again

That song ended and I signaled Raf again. I traded my Les Paul for my SG. Our final song of the night went like this:

Mind strong, Body strong

Try to find equilibrium

Head straight, Screwed on

Been screwed up for too long

I don't want to lean on the waves

I watch the storm evaporate

I think of you in starry skies

I keep you so alive

Lets walk through the fire together

Disappear in the golden sands

It's all in your face

I see you break

It's like the sound of winter

The bleeding love, the silent escape

You've got to hang on to yourself

It's like the sound of winter

Medusa smiles, Judas lips

Open arms and finger tips

Love bites and Recompense

I'll be with you until the end

Lets walk through the fire together

Disappear in the golden sands

It's all in your face

I see you break

It's like the sound of winter

The bleeding love, the silent escape

You've got to hang on to yourself

It's all in your face

I see you break

It's like the sound of winter

The bleeding love, the silent escape

You've got to hang on to yourself

It's like the sound of winter

Hang on to yourself

Hang on to yourself

It's like the sound of winter

It's all in your face

I see you break

It's like the sound of winter

The bleeding love, the silent escape

You've got to hang on to yourself

It's like the sound of winter

It's like the sound of winter

Hang on to yourself

Hang on to yourself

We were sitting in the back waiting for the judges to determine who had won. I felt pretty good about our performance. I was drawn out from my thoughts by the principle saying. "And the winner is…Defiance!"

The crowd went wild and my brothers and I went onto the stage, bowed and accepted the cash reward and the trophy. We went back home and I hoped Ben learned his lesson. My throat was aching a little bit, I hadn't sung like that in a long, long time.

**Authors Note:**

**I do not own the lyrics to Bully by Shinedown, Monster by Skillet, Inside the Fire by Disturbed, and Sound of Winter by Bush. **

**Thank you to zrexheartz and Princess of Dreams for reviewing.**

**Please R&R **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter XV

Begining of the End

**Ben's POV**

A week had passed since the Battle of the Bands, and kids at school kept asking me who was on the stage with me. I didn't tell anyone, mainly because the ones that kept asking were crazed fan girls that wanted Luke and Jacen. I was at the base, my home as well as the Autobots, doing homework. I was stuck on a history problem and I was going to go ask Luke for help, but the proximity sensor went off and I got distracted.

Fowler came down and when he emerged, he didn't look happy. He wasn't angry, just not happy. Fowler saw me and nodded, then looked at Ratchet and Optimus who were by the computer. "I need to speak with Luke." Fowler said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I'll discuss it when Luke gets in here." Fowler said.

"I'll go get him." Optimus said.

"Thanks, Prime."

Optimus left and came back in about a minute with my brothers and mother in tow. My family walked right up to where I was and Luke looked at Fowler expectantly.

"You wanted to speak with me." Luke said.

"Yes, I'm afraid that I'm here to call you into action. General Bryce demands that you come back with me to Sector 8." Fowler said.

"Why?" our mom asked.

"MECH has made a move that jeopardizes the national security. They set up a base in the a remote area of Washington." Fowler said.

"I don't see how this concerns my son."

Fowler swallowed and started explaining again, "When your son rescued you, he did it as a Captain in Sector 8's Air Force. General Bryce is calling all troops for an assault on MECH's base."

"Why now?" Jacen asked.

"MECH has managed to steal five nuclear bombs, thay have the ability to nuke the city of their choice." Fowler said.

There was stunned silence in the base. I looked over at Luke and he looked sad.

"What do I need?" Luke asked.

"Your pilots suit, and any weapons that you have here." Fowler answered.

Luke nodded solemnly and walked away. I looked over at our mother, and she was struggling not to cry. Jacen and I walked over to her and embraced her. "It'll be alright, mom." I said.

"Luke knows how to take care of himself." Jacen said.

Everyone else that hasn't been in the room arrived, Arcee, Jack, and Aunt June, Miko and Bulkhead, Raf and Bumblebee, and the Night twins. They gave Fowler quizzical looks and concerned looks at our mother. "What's going on?" Nightshade asked.

"Luke has been called to active duty." Optimus said.

Everyone that had just arrived looked at Fowler and he couldn't meet their gazes. "General Bryce gave the order." I said.

"Will Luke come back?" Raf asked.

"Hard to say." Luke said as he reentered the room. He was wearing his pilots suit. On his back was a backpack that must have had belongings and more clothes in there. Each hip holstered a Glock 17, and Luke also had the katana strapped to the backpack. "War can be a tricky buisness."

"It's almost time." Fowler said gently.

"Give me a moment. I need to say goodbye." Luke said.

Luke hugged Aunt June, Jack, Miko, and Raf. He whispered something into Raf's ears and gave the kid an affectionate hair messing up. Luke came to us next and gave us all a big hug, but especially to mom. He said something to mom and she nodded. Then he went over to Jacen and said something. He looked Jacen in the eye and Jacen nodded. He came to me last and said, "I need you to be strong, for mom's sake, I also need you to promise me that if I die, you will not make the mistakes that I've made. If MECH kills me, do not seek revenge. Do you understand?"

"I do, and I promise you that I'll never seek vengeance. I'll be as strong as I can." I said with a choked sob.

Luke nodded and lastly turned to the Autobots. "I want to thank all of you for rescuing me and then allowing us to live here. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have this extended family, it goes beyond words. I'm sorry that you won't be able to protect me, Nightshade, but I made my choice. I made a stupid decision for revenge and other personal reasons. Just take care of my family." he said.

"I have something for you." Nightshade said. Luke looked at Nightshade with a quizzical look and Nightshade took what looked like a toy lightsaber hilt from WalMart or something, but an actual hilt, and handed it to Luke.

"I don't understand, you got me a toy lightsaber?" Luke asked.

"No, press the button down." Nightshade said.

Luke raised an eyebrow, but did what Nightshade had asked, and a three foot long double edged sword with two fullers running down the middle sprang forth from the hilt. Luke tested the balance and looked at Nightshade in surprise.

"It's Cybertronian metal, so it's light, strong, and durable. You have a katana, but I thought you might like something like that." Nightshade said.

"Why would I need a sword?" Luke asked.

"I saw what you did with Jacen a while back with your reflexes, and thought to myself that you might be in need of a close quarters combat weapon."

"How did you get it into this?" Luke asked gesturing at the hilt.

"Some Cybertronians have the ability to extend a sword from their forearms, I applied the same type of principle that our bodies use and applied it to the hilt, which is also made of Cybertronian metal." Nightshade explained.

"Ok, thanks." Luke said as he pressed down on the button again and the blade disappeared back info the hilt. He then went to Fowler and nodded that he was ready. The two of them left and I was left feeling hollow and sad.

**Luke's POV**

Fowler and I had been flying for twenty minutes before he broke the silence when he asked me, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just worried about my family and friends." I replied in a hollow voice.

"Any luck getting the lightning back?"

I shook my head, "Nothing, I can't get a single charge." I said.

"So now you're of no use to MECH and the Decepticond." Fowler stated. He turned and looked at me and continued talking, "You should at least be thankful for that."

"I should be, but I'm not." I said as I looked out the side window.

"Why wouldn't that make you thankful? Did you like having murderous lunatics chasing you?" Fowler asked in shock.

I nodded, "If it meant protecting Ben and Jacen from those murderous lunatics, yes."

"You can't always be responsible for others fates." Fowler said.

"I know, but I do as much as I can to protect those that I love and care about. I somehow feel responsible for them." I said.

We spent the remainder of the flight in silence. When we landed, I got out and was led to where my quarters would be. I set all my things down and looked down at the hilt of the sword that Nightshade had made me. I rolled it between my right thumb and pointer, then over the pointer onto the middle, then back between the thumb and pointer again. With a sigh I placed it on the dresser type thing that was in my room. I then sat down on my bed and closed my eyes.

There was a knock at my door and I opened my eyes and stood up. I opened the door and there was no one there, only a package. I frowned and bent down to pick up the package. I picked it up and went back inside the room and closed the door. I sat back down on the bed and inspected the package. I opened the box and was surprised to see a black helmet, it looked like it would cover my entire face as well as my head. Curious, I put it on. I was once again surprised when the helmet fit. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I could see out of it just fine. I took the helmet off and saw what looked like a type of visor where the eyes were. I touched it and my fingers wouldn't go in like I thought they would. I set the helmet on the bed and saw that there was also a combat suit of some sorts. I pulled that out and held it up. It too was black, but it had red sleeves from the elbows down to the hands and red leggings from the knees down to the ankles. The last things in the package was a pair of black combat boots, and a note. I set the boots on the floor and picked up the note. This is what it said:

_Dear Luke,_

_While you may no longer be under our protection, we still feel like we need to help you somehow. The helmet allows you to communicate with those in your squad and if you choose, to communicate with us, as well as being used as an oxygen mask for combat suit was Nightblaze's idea, it's laced with bits and pieces of Cybertronian metal that will cover all your vital areas on the body. Hope that our gifts help. _

_Best of luck and hope to see you again,_

_Sincerely,_

_The Autobots_

I was left smiling after reading the note. It was nice to know that they were still going to try and look out for me, even though I wasn't under their protection for the time being. I inspected the combat suit more closely and didn't see anything. I slipped out of my pilots suit and into the combat suit. It was practically skin tight. It didn't feel any heavier than normal clothes. I took the Glock holsters and belted them around my waist. I then looked at myself in a mirror and was shocked to see how different I looked. I then saw that making an X from shoulder to opposite hip on each side. I probed it with my fingers and found that there were pockets for magazines. I smiled again and was thanking the Autobots. I went back to my bed and took the guns out of the holsters and set them on the dresser. I thought that I'd better get some shut eye, I wouldn't know when I'd get the chance again.

The next day I was brought to a room and was told what the mission would be by General Bryce himself. I was to lead my squad on an aerial assault, bomb as much of the fort as we could, then get out of there. Under no circumstances were we to try and play hero. No unnecessary loses. I nodded my understanding and stood up to leave. "Luke, how is your family doing?" General Bryce asked.

I turned to face him and said, "They'd be better if I wasn't here. I have a bad feeling about this assault, not my mission, but about the overall assault."

"What kind of bad feelings?" Bryce asked me.

"Feelings that there are going to be a hell of a lot of casualties on our side." I answered. I didn't wait for the Generals response, I left. I got back to my room and put the combat suit the Autobots had sent me, the combat boots, and grabbed the helmet. I reholstered the Glocks and took the sword Nightshade had made me and debated whether or not to take it with. With a shrug, I connected the hilt to a magnetized ring that I had discovered early on this morning and now satisfied with myself, I walked out of my room towards the hangar.

I stopped by the armory real quick to get eight magazines for the Glocks. I got the magazines and put them through the pocket things on my torso. I thanked the guy and walked into the hangar. I went over to Stormshadow and climbed up on top towards the cockpit.

"Captain." I heard.

I turned around and saw what I'm guessing my squad was. "Hello, are you the squad that I'm taking with me today?" I asked.

"Yes, sir." everyone said.

"Alright, have you been debriefed on our mission?" All of them shook their heads and I nodded. "I thought so. Our mission is to bomb the hell out of the base and provide air support for our ground troops. We want as few casualties on our side as possible and as many casualties as we can get on their side as possible. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good, now if you do get shot down, eject and join our ground forces if you're able to. If you don't want to participate on the ground assault, I won't hold that against you. I'm the greenhorn here, I haven't flown and combat missions, I have yet to take another humans life. That's going to change today. No matter the outcome, do not falter from the task at hand. I may seem unfrightened, but in reality I'm as terrified as one would expect from these types of situations. I will not ask any of you here to do more than what the mission says, and I will not ask you to do more than I myself will not do. We leave in t minus five minutes." I said.

I got into the cockpit and hooked everything up, I connected my helmet to the communication lines between my squad and myself. I let out a sigh and put the helmet on. I looked around outside the cockpit and saw my squad doing the same thing. Checking all of my gauges and ammo supply, I ran down the checklist. With everything ticked off, I started the engines and started down the runway. I reached speed and took off followed by my squad. "ETA, is in half an hour." I said. I got acknowledgements from my squad and I settled in and checked my course every thirty seconds. I was nervous and my palms were getting sweaty, I was going to end up killing my first human beings today. I didn't think of the Decepticon seekers that I had killed as kills, but taking out machines or drones, they weren't people, the didn't have loving families to go back to. I was going to be killing someone's husband, someone's son, someone's lover, someone's grandson, someone's mother, someone's daughter, and for what! Killing always leads to more killing, death leads to death. But if we could end MECH here, why not take the shot to try and save lives? I was beginning to wonder if this is what any man in power has felt or if any man or woman in my position had thought.

I banished those thoughts as best as I could, but they always somehow crept back into the front of my thoughts. I was sometimes even incapacitated from the fear of taking another life. I closed my eyes and thought to myself, Nightshade, the Autobots they don't falter when battle arises, so why did I?

**Authors Note:**

**I would like to thank Princess of Dreams and zrexheartz for reviewing.**

**Please R&R **


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter XVI

Clash of Souls

The half hour passed and I sat up in my cockpit. I was starting to sweat and I could feel my heart start to beat faster. "Form up, single file line, with two V formations towards the back." I said to my squad.

"Copy that Captain." I got from my squad.

"Prime the bombs, then one by one drop them."

"Yessir!"

I primed the bombs that I had and with a deep breath, I looked down and saw the base. I pulled the trigger towards me and pressed a button on the side. The bombs dropped that I had and I pulled up. I looked behind me and saw that the rest of my squad was doing the same thing. Red started to flash on my monitor and I said, "Enemy fire incoming! Break formation and head to base, evasive maneuvers!"

I barrelrolled to my right just as a anti-aircraft shell flew past. I pulled up while corkscrewing and then aimed the nose of my plane down. I readied the fifty cal rounds and shot at the anit-aircraft guns. I watched as smoke rose from the carnage that my squad and I had caused. There were smoldering ruins of the wall, buildings, tanks, turrets, bunkers, and most likely dead, or wounded men and women.

"Captain! Enemy fighters approaching from tht north!"

"Copy that, get out of here, return to base!" I said.

"What are you going to do, Captain?"

"Hold them off, now go! It's an order!" I commanded.

"Yessir!"

I pulled back up and focused my attention on the incoming fighters. I watched as my squad retreated and gave a quick glance to the ground and saw that Sector 8 ground troops were advancing. I pulled my thoughts away from the ground battle and focused on the task I had taken. I shot at the incoming planes and watched as two went down because I had killed the pilots. I angled the nose of the plane up towards the coming storm clouds and disappeared into them like I had done with the Decepticons. I was hoping to use the same tactic, but I had to see what would happen. To my surprise, the MECH pilots followed me. I disappeared into the clouds and waited for them to pass me. I fell in behind them once they did and started attacking them from the rear. Three out if the five remaining planes started going down, I had taken out their engines. The other two finally caught on to what I was doing and turned around to face me. I shot at them both as they shot at me. My shots made contact with the cockpits and the planes went down. But unfortunately, their shots connected with my wings. I started to lose control of the plane and pointed it down. I came out of the clouds and aimed the plane at the center of MECH's base. I ejected from my plane and pulled the strings for the parachute, and watched as my plane nosedived towards the base. The explosion was a decent sized one, but it had barely made a debt in MECH's base.

I finally was grounded and I detached myself from the chair and parachute, and headed towards the central command tent. I removed my helmet and walked into the tent. Three generals were going over the maps and tactics when I entered, they all became quiet and looked at me. I saluted them and introduced myself, "I'm Captain Lukas Porter. My plane was shot down and I'm wondering if I can do anything to help."

"Captain Porter, we've heard a lot about you. General Bryce has informed us of your capabilities." a general said. This general was about six three, two fifty. White hair, and brown eyes.

The second general was about six two, two hundred. He had greying black hair, and hazel eyes. The third general to my surprise, was Jacen. "Hello, Luke." he said.

I stared at my twin with an open mouth, astonished. "You told me that you were going to have nothing to do with Sector 8!" I said.

"I lied, Ben is the only one that hasn't joined." Jacen said. He then looked at the other generals and said, "If you'd excuse me gentlemen, I'm going to go and get caught up with my brother."

Jacen walked towards me and led me out of the tent towards an all black tent. We got inside the tent and it had two cots. Jacen sat down on one and gestured for me to sit on the other. I sat down and faced my twin. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Same as you, I'm fighting a war." Jacen replied.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Why are you here?"

"I lied when I told you that I hadn't joined Sector 8's army, I didn't want you to flip. When I joined, I took a test to see what my capabilities were, they were leading abilities. The fact that I scored high in strategy, the second highest on the test anyone's ever gotten, behind you that is. They made me a general." Jacen said.

"In other words you outrank me." I said with a smile.

"Technically, but if you were in the army, you would've definitely been a general." Jacen said.

I turned serious again and asked, "What are we up against?"

"They have at least twenty thousand soldiers walled up." Jacen said, his smile dropping. He looked me in the eyes and said, "They still have two towers with turrets active. We can't advance until we figure out a way to take them down. MECH's going to be looking towards the sky now that we've hit them."

"I have an idea, it's a crazy one though." I said.

"What's your idea?"

"I go into the mountains, sneak into one of the turret towers, take it out, and from there use their turret against them." I said.

Jacen shook his head, "That'd never work. The other generals wouldn't approve of it." he said.

"Let me talk to them. If they have any common sense, they'll listen. What I'm offering is that by taking out the turrets, I open a lane for our troops to go through. What's on the table is that with a solo mission, they aren't risking a lot of lives trying to break through the defenses." I countered.

Jacen leaned back on the bed and looked deep in thought as he contemplated my suggestion. Yes my idea sounded crazy, but sometimes the simplest things are the easiest solutions. Jacen looked up out of his thoughts and nodded. "I'll take you to them right now. That way you can use the cover of night to sneak up the mountains and to get into the turret towers." said Jacen.

Jacen stood up and I followed suit. Together the two of us walked back to the command tent and I explained my idea to the other two generals.

"Absolutely not." the first general that had spoken to me when I got to the tent earlier said.

"Why not? What are your reasons?" I asked.

"The fact that it's a suicide mission, the fact that a one person team can never take out a trained squad, and the fact that you're only eighteen!"

"My reasons for doing it are that I'm a one person team, less people will die tomorrow than if we ignore the turrets and march forward, surprise will be on my side, and not to mention it'll be the last thing that MECH would expect." I countered.

The two generals looked down at the map and then at each other. They finally looked back at me and the second general said, "You have until 12:10 to take them out, then we're advancing."

"Understood." I said. I saluted the two generals then walked out of the tent followed by Jacen. I looked over at him and said, "That went better than I had thought it would."

Jacen nodded his agreement and looked up at the sky. Jacen frowned and nudged me. I gave him a questioning look and he pointed towards the mountains, but just above them. "What does that shape remind you of?" he asked.

I directed my gaze to where Jacen was pointing and me heart froze and a pit of fear worked its way into my gut. "That looks like the Decepticon warship." I whispered.

**Ben's POV**

_Autobot Base_

I was watching the computer monitor that Ratchet always used. He had to go do something and he had asked me to watch it for him. I cocked my head to the side when I saw a large dot pop onto the screen. I zoomed in and saw that the coordinates were where Jacen and Luke were. "Optimus," I called behind me.

Footsteps sounded towards me and I turned around to see Optimus and Arcee standing there. "What is it Ben?" Optimus asked me.

"There's a large dot where Jacen and Luke are. It appeared there. What is it?" I said, then asked.

"That's the Nemisis, the Decepticon warship." Optimus said grimly.

My heart dropped. I looked at Arcee and the great Prime and I had a feeling deep down that something terrible was going to happen. "Arcee, gather every Autobot here. We need to go give Sector 8 support." Optimus ordered.

Arcee nodded and went to go find the Autobots. I turned my attention back to the screen and prayed that Jacen and Luke would be alright. "Be safe guys." I whispered.

**Jacen's POV**

When Luke had confirmed my suspicions I felt my stomach drop. I looked over at my brother, his face had gone pale. "You alright?" I asked him.

Luke nodded and said, "It's going to be more difficult to sneak into the mountains now."

I nodded my agreement, "Need anything before you go?" I asked.

"Yeah, I need a bit of rest. It's what, 18:00?"

I nodded again, "Lets go back to my tent. We can get some rest there. I also brought something of yours."

"What did you bring?" Luke asked.

"I made a sheath for it, and brought it with me." I said.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I smiled, "The katana." I said simply.

"How? I left it back at Sector 8."

"I know, I took it with me."

"Why?"

I shrugged, "Because I think that I wanted a sword as well. How childish does that sound?" I chuckled.

"Then keep it." Luke said.

I shook my head. "No it's yours, you take it. You might need it." I said.

"Then I'll give it to you." Luke said with a small smile.

"You sure?"

"Positive, I'll just ask you for an assault rifle."

Luke and I laughed at that as we got to my tent. We entered the tent and we stopped laughing when we saw who was sitting on one of the beds, General Bryce. "Hello, boys." he said.

"General." Luke and I said as we saluted him.

Bryce turned his attention to Luke and looked him up and down as if sizing him up and what his chances would be. "I've heard that you plan to take the turrets by yourself." he said.

"Yes, what about it?" asked Luke.

"I don't think that it is wise."

"What courses would you take? My solution could save lives." Luke snapped.

"I don't want to lose my men and I don't want to lose my wild card."

Luke snorted, "So that's what it's all about. F.Y.I., I've lost my ability to generate lightning, so you don't have any leverage there."

General Bryce's face fell and he looked skeptical at first, then angry. "What do you mean, you've lost it?" he roared.

"I've lost it, sir." Luke snarled, "So I'm sorry but you don't have anything that can be used as leverage anymore to get me to do your dirty work. You don't own my soul anymore, I'm my own man."

General Bryce stood up and glared at Luke, "We'll discuss this later." he growled.

"There's nothing to discuss, sir." Luke said looking right into Bryce's eyes.

Bryce left and Luke sat down on a bed with a frustrated sigh. "Well, that was random." I stated.

Luke shook his head, "It's not as random as you might think." he said.

"Why not?" I asked confused.

"With the Cons here, it's only a matter of time before the Bots get here as well."

I let that sink in, then sat down on the other bed opposite of my twin. I looked over at him and asked, "So, you won't change your mind about all of this?"

Luke shook his head like I thought he would. "No, I'm not going to." he said.

"What kind of assault rifle you looking for?" I asked.

"If you have either an M16A1, M16A2, or an AR-15, I'll take it." Luke said.

I nodded and went to a cabinet that I had in the corner of the tent. I unlocked it and shifted through the guns. "I have the M16A2, and four magazines full of bullets for you." I said.

"I'll take it, I'll give you a Glock 17 in exchange." Luke offered.

"Deal, how many magazines?"

"Four."

"Done."

I handed Luke the M16A2 and the four magazines, and he handed me one of his Glock 17's and four magazines. Luke looked at the time and sighed. "I should get going, I need to set up camp and think of a plan." he said.

"Good luck." I wished him as we embraced each other.

"Ditto." Luke said. We seperated and Luke walked out of the tent and took a wide berth towards the mountains.

As I watched my brother go, I had an odd feeli h that I'd never see him again.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter XVII

Into the Inferno

**Luke's POV**

I had walked for roughly two hours before I stopped and set up camp overlooking one of the turret towers. I put a clip in the M16A2 and put the safety on. Each magazine held twenty 5.56x45mm NATO cartridges, the magazines for my Glock 17 held seventeen 9×19mm Parabellum cartridges (more commonly known as 9mm).

I glanced at the sky and squinted towards the Nemisis, I didn't see anything of importance or anything for that matter. Nightshade had told me stories about a Con called Soundwave, who could spy on anything or anyone without them ever finding out about it. That creeped me out to no end, but I didn't want to do anything out of fear that I'd be spied on my the Con. I looked down at my watch and saw that it was 22:08. "Time to get started." I mumbled.

I had discovered about an hour ago that the helmet the Autobots had made for me came equipped with night vision. It had transitioned so nicely that I hadn't noticed at first, until I took the helmet off.

I clicked the safety off on the M16A2 and lined up the sights towards the back of one of the turrets guards. I had put a silencer on the barrel and I squeezed the trigger. The guard fell without much of a fuss and I reloaded. Seeing no others emerge, I clicked the safety back on and advanced. I cautiously opened the door and pulled out my Glock. It too had a silencer. I saw three MECH soldiers and I lined the sights up with one of their heads. I fired, and quickly disposed of the three soldiers. I then aimed the turret at the other tower, and fired. I watched as the barrage of bullets tore through the supports that held the tower, then eventually the tower fell. I let out a sigh of relief, it had actually worked. I felt a chill crawl up my spine and I whipped around. Standing there behind me was the man I had seen in my nightmares, the one responsible for Dyllan's death. Without thinking, my Glock lined up with his head and I fired until the rest of the fourteen bullets left in the magazine were emptied out. The man moved his left hand and the bullets were blasted with red lightning. I gripped my Glock by the barrel and charged.

The man sidestepped but I whipped him with the butt of the Glock. He stumbled back and I threw the gun away. The man smiled at me, his white hair, menacing figure of six foot four, two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle, and the fact he was dressed in all red. His eyes were now green, but had hints of red flecks. He moved his right hand over his right shoulder and grasped something, and pulled forward. He unsheathed a sword that had a three foot long double edged blade, and his smile grew larger.

I set my M16A2 onto the ground and grasped the hilt of the sword Nightshade had given me. "So, you want to play my little game?" the man asked in a voice eerily similar sounding to Megatron's, but more human.

I said nothing and just simply pressed the button on the hilt. The blade slid out slowly, due to the fact that I was slowly pushing the button. The blade reached its full length and I spun into a stance with my right arm above my head and the sword blade running parallel to the ground and my left arm extended at the shoulder with my palm facing up. I beckoned for the man to attack, to which he just laughed and settled into a stance. His stance was similar to mine, but he held the hilt with both hands. He slowly advanced toward me and stopped three paces away.

I swung my sword to the right in a feint and twisted the blade at the last second to aim it towards the mans legs. He blocked the blow with a sinister smile and disengaged the blades. I backed away from him and looked at him better. I couldn't resist asking, "What's your name?"

The man laughed and looked at my with amusement. "My name," he said, "is Keir Tabar. I already know yours, Porter."

I flipped my sword hilt so that I held it in a reverse position. The sword would be pointing behind me now, instead of at the enemy. I attacked and Keir sidestepped and counterattacked. Our swords met and I shoved him back. Keir stumbled and I flipped the sword back into its traditional method of wielding it. I attacked with an overhead slash, followed by a backhand slash. Keir avoided the overhead and parried the backhand. He pressed his attack and I parried all his blows. I jumped into the air and flipped over Keir, and as I did that I swung with my sword. I felt the blade catch material and when I landed I rolled back onto my feet and turned around. Keir looked shocked, I had sliced his back just below the neck.

I silently cursed, why couldn't I have just cut the back of this guys neck. He rushed forward and delivered a roundhouse kick, that I was unable to dodge. The kick caught my helmet and sent it flying off my head. My helmet rolled a couple of feet and I felt a sensation that I hadn't felt in a long time. I drew my left hand back just as Keir drew his right hand back, and at the same time, we shot lightning at each other. One difference with my lightning this time around, it was black. I couldn't understand why, but it looked pretty damn cool. Black lightning met red and when they collided, Keir and I were thrown backwards by the shock wave of the blast it created.

I rolled back onto my feet and looked for my opponent. I saw him getting up onto his own two feet as well, but he was next to a dead MECH soldier. I sent a blast of lightning towards the dead soldiers belt and mere seconds later was rewarded with an explosion. I had noticed a grenade stuck on the soldiers belt and looked to take advantage of that.

To my dismay however, Keir just rose up out of the explosion unharmed and surrounded by flames. I probably should have expected such a thing, but you can't blame a guy for hoping. Keir slowly stalked towards me with his sword now being held in both hands. I didn't wait for him to get to me, I went to him. I attacked with with a thrust that was easy parried aside, then I spun on my back heel and swept my left leg around. I dumped Keir onto his back and I stabbed down. He rolled out of the way and kicked the sword out of my hands. Keir got onto his feet and attacked. I dodged the attacks and did a backflip kick and disarmed Keir. I landed in a crouch and Keir just smirked at me. He gave me a mock salute and a mock bow. I frowned at that.

"Until next time Lukas Porter, until next time." Keir said.

Before I could either ask what he was talking about or attack, Keir controlled a blast of lightning and retrieved his sword. He then disappeared into the shadows and I went and retrieved my own blade. I looked around confused, then went to a fallen MECH soldier and plucked a grenade from his belt. I pulled the pin and threw the grenade into the tower. I walked away as the grenade went off, but I didn't care. I had done my job but now, I needed rest and answers. The answers that I'd get were only going to come from one man, General Bryce.

**Jacen's POV**

I had waited about an hour before I went back to my tent from watching my twin leave. I got back to my tent and sat down on a cot. Luke had given me the katana, but I felt uneasy about it. I closed my eyes and fell asleep. During my slumber, I had the strangest dream:

"Why do you fight?" a deep benign voice asked me.

"What do you mean?" I shouted. I looked around me and where was nothing but blue light.

"Why do you fight your nature, why do you fight your instincts?" the voice asked.

"Who are you?"

An Autobot materialized before me, but it looked like an old one. It resembled Optimus Prime, but was older. "I am Primus, the god of Cybertron." it replied.

My jaw fell in shock. I quickly closed my mouth and asked, "What exactly is my nature?"

"You do not remember, that is good. You were once a proud warrior of the universe, the guardians of it. You were once a Paladin." Primus responded.

"A what?" I asked confused.

"You see, you and your brother Luke had died in an alternate timeline. I took pity on the two of you and offered you both another chance at life…you took it." Primus explained, "It would be easier for me to show you rather than explain it."

Images flashed in front of me, me and Luke playing Varsity football, us winning a championship, our exposure to the Autobots, Luke rescuing Ben from MECH, Luke fighting a man robed in black with a black sword, Luke destroying mountains with black lightning, me arriving on Arcee to search the rubble of destroyed rock formations until we found him, Luke with his red sword lowered at the mans neck, me pleading with my brother to not kill the defenseless man, Luke beheading the man, then a duel between my twin and myself. Finally, a discussion with Ben, Luke, Primus, and myself deciding to reset our lives with two powers.

The images stopped and Primus looked at me sadly. "I reset your lives and gave you a family. It was difficult but worth it in the end. I met with Luke in a dream the night before you met the Autobots and explained to him what I have just shown you. I stopped his headaches that were caused by unforeseen flashbacks when he saw things that triggered memories from his past life. The headaches that you and Ben had, I removed after you met the Autobots. I haven't shown Ben these images or explained to him, and I don't think I ever will. He is young, the images of what I have show you will for sure leave the young man scarred and unsure of his actions." he said.

"Why contact me now?" I asked.

"Because you are on a battlefield, similar to the last time you died. I do not want to have my gifts wasted or corrupted." Primus said.

"I understand. As to answer your questions from earlier, I fight to protect the people from MECH's terror. I guess I don't know what my instincts are, but I want to remain in control of what I'm doing and what I'm feeling." I said.

Primus nodded in satisfaction at my answers. "The Autobots will be here to help fight against the Decepticons. When you awake from this slumber, you will not have any recollection of this dream."

I nodded and I woke up when there was a knock at my tent. I sat up on the bed and rubbed my eyes. "Come in." I grumbled sleepily.

To my surprise, Luke walked in. "Hey, Jace." Luke said as he entered.

"What are you doing back?" I asked fully awake now.

"I succeeded in destroying the turrets, but I was attacked by the man I've described to you from my accident five years ago." Luke said quietly.

"He's here?" I asked shocked.

Luke simply nodded and said, "He appears to be in league with MECH, he just disappeared during the middle of the fight, so I came back here."

"Why would he just leave like that?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that we'll find out later this morning."

"It's morning!" I exclaimed in surprise.

Luke looked at me with amusement and gave a small smile, "You've apparantly been in here too long. The guard outside said that you went in here an hour after I left and you hadn't come out since."

"Damn." I grumbled then asked, "Why did you come back here?"

"I need answers, General Bryce is the only one who can answer the questions that I have. I don't think that he'll give the answers lightly." Luke answered.

"Shall we go find the good general?" I said sarcastically.

Luke gave another small smile, "I already did. He's coming over in roughly three minutes. You better get ready." Luke said.

"You bastard." I said. Luke's smile only grew bigger.

**Authors Note:**

**To zrexheartz and Princess of Dreams, you have my thanks for reviewing.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter XVIII

All Questions Have Answers…In Theory

**Luke's POV**

The three minutes passed and Jacen had straightened up. We were sitting on our own cots when General Bryce came in. "What is it that you wanted to see me for?" he asked.

"I need to ask you some questions, specifically about a man named Keir Tabar." I answered.

General Bryce's face fell into a dark shadow. I almost regretted asking the question…almost. "Keir Tabar was a friend of your fathers back in their training days at Sector 8." General Bryce said grimly, "Tabar and your father were some of the best operatives that we have ever had. On one mission, everything changed. Your mother was pregnant with the two of you, she did not know it at the time. The three of them went on a mission to spy on an organization called at the time CECM, who eventually evolved into MECH." There was a slight pause as a gust of wind tugged at the tents walls, then Bryce continued telling the story. "The three of them got in the facility no problem, but when they reached the area of concern, they were ambushed. They shot Keir with something and threw an explosive close to your mother. The bomb had the same contents inside as the dart that struck Keir. The three of them were able to escape, but Keir started to act different. He became cold and calculating, efficient but deadly. His temper rose and he eventually resigned from his position. We haven't heard from him or heard anything about him until now."

"So you mean to say that whatever changed Tabar, got inside our mom and got into us?" Jacen asked.

"That's my hypothesis."

"What about Ben?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe whatever affected the two of you stayed within your mother and got into Ben."

"What are Tabar'a weaknesses?" I asked.

"As far as I know, none. The only thing that he wasn't good at was hand to hand fighting." Bryce answered grimly.

I nodded. "I think that's how I'm going to best him." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"He basically let me go last night. He knew who I was." I said.

"It's because you look most like your father. A part of Keir must be down inside of him somewhere." Bryce said.

"Thanks, that's all I need to know."

Bryce nodded and stood up. He nodded towards me and Jacen, then left.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Jacen asked.

"I'm not sure." I said. I turned and looked at my twin and said, "Although what I do know is that whatever happens today happens."

Jacen nodded and was about to say something when alarms went off throughout the camp. Jacen shut his mouth and we both bolted out of the tent. We rushed through the crowd towards the front of the camp. When we got there the sight of what was ahead of us drove the breath right out of our lungs. MECH had come out of the base and looked like they were going to mount an offensive. But to our surprise, a white flag was lifted up. "Why would they ask for a truce? asked Jacen, "This doesn't make sense."

"Because that know that they can't win." I said.

General Bryce appeared by our sides and said, "I need the two of you to come with me to the truce."

"Alright." we both said.

The three of us went out of the camp and towards the white flag, which was coming towards us. We met somewhere in the middle and Keir was one of the three men that was representing MECH, although he was wearing a helmet, like I was. "What terms do you offer?" General Bryce asked.

One of the MECH generals, he was middle aged, roughly 45, and had greying brown hair, with a rugged beard, and creepy eyes, one was blue and the other was green said, "Simply to get out of here. We've called for backup as you can see from the sky, and we want to avoid more bloodshed."

"Pretty speech coming from a terrorist." I said.

The mans gaze went right toward me and it was a death glare that he sent. "I wouldn't expect you to understand our circumstances." he snarled, "Many that are on top view any type of conflict by those beneath them as terrorism."

"Trust me, I think I do understand your circumstances. I hacked into your mainframe after all and saw all of your darkest secrets. Not to mention the fact that you love selling illegal arms on the black market." I countered.

"Gentlemen, please." MECH's third representative said. He was of short stature with broad, filled out shoulders, red hair, and brown eyes. "Can we not just discuss a truce?"

"What are your terms?" Jacen asked.

"For you to allow us to leave." the third man said.

"I doubt that, we just can't let you leave." Bryce said.

"Then I propse single combat." the first man said.

"Between whom?" I asked.

"Between our best soldier and yours." the man said with a smile.

"Ahh." I said nodding me head. I looked over at Bryce and Jacen and nodded at them. They nodded back. I looked back at the MECH representatives and said, "If our soldier wins, you're all under arrest for treason. If your soldier wins, you can go free."

"You have yourselves a deal."

"When will the fight take place?" Jacen asked.

"Tomorrow at noon."

We nodded and then the six of us walked back to the sides that we had come from. Jacen leaned towards me and said in a quiet, angry, "Are you mad! You know that you're the best soldier we have! They're definately going to send Keir!"

"What would you have had me do?" I asked, "Would you have preffered if I had stood by and let more bloodshed ensue?"

"Mom's not going to like hearing about this." Jacen said shaking his head. He looked up at the sky and sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll tell her." I said. I put my hand on his right shoulder and then walked away from him.

**Jacen's POV**

I watched Luke walk away and I was really starting to worry about him. It was as if he tried to place himself in the most dangerous position possible. I shook my head sadly and made my way back to the tent I shared with Luke. I entered the tent and saw that there were seven people in the tent. I slowly reached for the Glock Luke had given me and asked, "Who are you?"

The seven turned around and I recognized them as the Autobots holoforms. "Hello, Jacen." Blaze said.

"Hey, why are you guys here?" I asked as I moved my hand away from the pistol.

"We're here just in case the Decepticons try to interfere with Sector 8's and MECH's conflict." Optimus said.

"That might not be a problem."

"Why?" Arcee asked.

"Because, Luke is going to fight MECH's best soldier in single combat tomorrow at noon, the battle will be to the death." I said.

The Autobots were stunned. I looked over at Nightshade's holoform and he appeared stricken. "Why would Luke do that?" Shadow asked.

"Because, I feel that I'll save lives by doing what is necessary." Luke said as he entered the tent.

"So you're putting yourself at risk in order to prevent further bloodshed?" Bulkhead asked.

"Yup, that's why." Luke said. "Please don't try and talk me out of it, because if we win all the MECH soldiers surrender to us here."

"What happens if you lose?" Arcee asked.

I glanced over at Luke. My brother took a deep breath and said, "If I die, MECH gets to go free from here, unhindered."

Optimus nodded and said, "That is commendable, but I would like to ask why you?"

"Because," I said, "Luke is the best fighter to ever come from Sector 8."

"Jacen," Luke said, "I'm not the best, I'm just able to understand what my opponents will do before they do." Luke paused and looked at the Autobots then said, "The man I'll be fighting tomorrow is a former Sector 8 operative, he's one of the best fighters I've ever faced."

"You've faced him once before?" Nightshade asked.

Luke nodded, "Last night when I took out the turrets, he attacked me after I destroyed the towers. He's the only person I can't predict what he'll do in a fight." he said.

"So, what do you think the outcome will be?" Arcee asked.

"Truthfully," said Luke "I'm not sure what the result will be."

**Authors Note:**

**Thanks to Princess of Dreams for reviewing**

**Please R&R **


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter XIX

Death's Duel

**Luke's POV**

The day of the duel arrived and I was sitting in the tent I shared with Jacen. It was 9:30 am and Jacen was sleeping still. He hadn't gotten to sleep until around two in the morning. I stood up from the cot and went to where my combat suit hung. I was shirtless at the moment and I was just standing there in front of the combat suit when I heard a female voice behind me say, "We're all worried about you."

I turned around and saw a woman dressed in a black longsleeved shirt with a pink stripes on the forearms and a blue tee shirt on top. Her black hair and electric blue eyes helped me realize who it was. "Hey, Arcee." I said. "You don't have to worry about me."

"I think that we can't help but worry." Arcee said crossing her arms, "I mean you are putting yourself directly in harms way on purpose."

I chuckled and shook my head slowly. "I can't argue with you there." I said. I turned serious and asked, "Why is it that your actually here?"

"We informed Jack, June, Miko, Ben, and Raf of your plan, they just wished me to wish you good luck for them and goodbye if you will never meet again." Arcee said somberly.

I nodded in appreciation and turned away from Arcee's holoform. I was now acutely aware that I was shirtless and only wearing compression shorts. I grabbed my combat suit and started to put it on, I finished and sat back down on the cot that I had just gotten off of. I pulled the combat boots on and tied them tight. I stood back up and faced the entrance to the tent, and Arcee's holoform was still standing there. I grabbed the belt for the suit and attatched a holster for my Glock 17, then I put the belt on. I picked up the hilt of my sword off the bed and attached the hilt to my left hip, due to the fact that the holster was on my right. I picked upy helmet and walked over to Arcee and motioned for us to go talk outside the tent. Arcee nodded and we walked out of the tent. "What's on your mind?" I asked her.

"Just that my younger brother, Shade is really worried about you, the two of you have become very close." Arcee answered.

"I'll talk to him." I said.

"Good, that's all I ask. Your mother wasn't very appreciative of the fact that you accepted the terms of the truce and she's even more so upset that you're the one fighting."

I shrugged. "It happens." I said. I looked at Arcee and asked, "Where is Shade?"

"He's at the south side of camp with the rest of the Autobots." Arcee answered.

"Thanks, could you take me there?"

Arcee nodded and led me to where the Autobots were staying for the time being. I saw Nightshade sitting away from the rest of the Bots. I walked away from Arcee and sat down next to him. "Nice day, isn't it?" I asked.

"Yeah, it is a nice day." Nightshade said.

"Look, don't worry about me, I'll be fine." I tried to assure my friend.

Nightshade looked at me skeptically and said, "I've seen fights from your opponents Sector 8 days, he's not exactly what I'd call a no problem."

I shrugged, "I can handle myself, besides" I said, "how do you think I feel whenever you would go out and fight the Cons? I've felt what you're feeling."

"You've got a point." Nightshade said. He looked back at the horizon and said, "You should go and get ready for the duel."

"Any tips for me?"

"Don't go and underestimate your foe, he's a brutal fighter with great strength and agility."

"Thanks, Shade." I said, and I meant it. I stood up and guessed that it was around 11:30 based on the Suns position in the sky. I turned away from Shade and made my way towards the northern edge of the camp. I arrived and was met by Fowler, General Bryce, Jacen, and Optimus Prime.

"Ready?" Jacen asked me.

I nodded, put my helmet on, and the five of us walked to the open glade between the camp and the fort. An area was capped off by rope and inside the roped area were pieces of rubble forming a foreboding terrain for the two combatants. I stepped inside the ropes and was met by Keir, he was dressed up in the same combat suit that he had worn when we had our first fight two nights ago. The only difference this time was that he had a shield and a helmet similar to my own, but it looked more like a motorcycle helmet.

Optimus, Bryce, Fowler, and Jacen met with the two MECH representatives from yesterday and the terms were went over again. I wasn't paying any attention to what the six of them were saying, I was too busy studying Keir. The shield was going to be a problem, one that I wasn't sure I'd be able to overcome. A shield allowed a person to be both defensive and offensive minded, while a person with just a sword had to be either one or the other, not both at the same time. Noon struck and the six representatives stepped out of the arena and left only the two of us combatants inside.

Keir and I bowed to each other and then backed away. I settled into a crouch and Keir did likewise except he had the shield out in front of him with his sword over the shield. A gong was hit and Keir charged at me. He swung his sword in an overhead cut as he tried to hit me with his shield. I sidestepped the shield and parried the overhead cut. I jumped and did a backflip and landed a good three yards away from Keir. I had to find a way to neutralize the shield. Keir rushed at me and I dodged his attacks. I rolled to my left, just avoiding having me head taken off by the follow up slash. I swept my feet around in a circle and knocked Keir on his back. I stood up and stabbed downwards all in one fluid motion. Keir rolled away from my attack and used his momentum to get back on his feet.

I slowly stepped to my right where a piece of rubble was placed. The rubble that I was now next to was about six feet high. Keir approached me and as he came to attack I jumped on the side of the rock and used it as a spring board. I flew over Keir's sweeping attack and I did a front flip while I slashed down. I landed and spun my sword in a circle at my side. I turned around and saw that I had cut off Keir's shield arm. There wasn't any blood, just oil. Keir attacked and I parried. I ducked under a swipe at my heaf and pushed Keir away. I pressed my attack and did a backhanded slice at Keir's legs, which he deflected away, and followed through with a kick to his stomach. Keir stumbled back a bit and I held my sword with two hands enabling me to have more power in my strikes. I swung at my opponents midsection and he parried the blow. The two of us then stood in one place trading blows with our swords as we tried to gain the upper hand over the other. I jumped back from one of Keir's slashes and was caught by surprise when I felt a stab in my gut. I looked down and saw that Keir had taken advantage of my jump and had rushed in and stabbed me, but what we both were not expecting was that my combat suit kept the blade out of my body. I kicked Keir away and slashed at his legs.

The two of us were both breathing heavily and I stepped back a bit and spun my sword on a circle once again. Keir threw his sword at me and I deflected it away with my own. No sooner than I had deflected the sword, I was thrown backward by a blast of red lightning. I landed on my back with a heavy thud about ten feet from where I had been standing seconds before and I felt the wind leave my body. I stood up slowly and had to dodge another blast of lightning. Keir advanced slowly towards me, without his sword, and stopped three feet away from me. I "sheathed" my sword and clipped the hilt onto my belt. I looked at Keir and I'm sure he looked at me and he asked, "Would you like a respite?"

"Ten minutes?" I asked.

"Sounds good." Keir replied.

I wandered back to the sidelines and sat down on the ground. Jacen, Bryce, Fowler, and Optimus rushed towards me. I looked at them all and took my helmet off. Still breathing heavily, I asked through breaths of air, "Can…someone…please bring me…water?"

Bryce nodded and walked away and I slowed my breathing down and took longer more controlled breaths. "How does he look?" I asked.

"Skillful, and cunning." Optimus answered.

Bryce returned with a bottle of water and have it to me. I nodded my thanks and took a sip. I looked at Optimus and said, "Thanks for the combat suit, without it I would've been skewered today."

"No problem." Optimus said with a slight smile. I looked back to where Keir was and saw that MECH was reattaching a new arm. I shook my head and looked back at Jacen.

"You don't by any chance have the katana with you?" I asked.

Jacen smiled as he saw where I was going with that question and he unsheathed the katana from his back and presented it to me hilt first. "Actually I do." he replied.

I took the katana and stuck the blade in the ground and stood up. I put my helmet back on and took the blade out of the ground. I looked at my friends and brother and said, "Thanks for all the support. Jacen, if I fall let mom and Ben know that I love them and that I'm sorry."

"I will." Jacen promised.

I nodded and turned away from them and went back into the arena. With my right hand, I reactivated the sword Shade had given me and in my left I held the katana. Keir walked back in with a new arm and a short sword. He stopped four feet away from me and we bowed to each other once more. I came up from my bow and made a figure eight in front of me with the two swords. Keir stepped back and made a circle at his right side, then threw the short sword at me. I deflected the short sword and attacked my opponent. I did a rapid succession of attacks with my sword followed by the katana. First was an overhead cut followed by a backhand side. The second attack was a backhand cut towards Keir's feet followed by a thrust. Keir blocked the four attacks and then counterattacked with an overhead cut. I formed an X with both blades and caught the sword just above my head.

"You are a fool." Keir said to me. "The only one that could've bested me was you father. A pity that he stayed with the wrong side, I did what I had to do for the winning side. It's just good buisness."

Understanding dawned on me, for all my searching through the database in MECH looking for who had killed by father and never finding who had done it, I found him. With an angry roar, I disengaged from my foe and kicked Keir in the stomach while simultaneously disarming him. His sword went skidding away from us and I blasted Keir with blac lightning. Keir landed twenty feet away and I stuck the speed blades into the ground. I advanced towards Keir and waited for him to get up.

With a groan Keir slowly got up. As soon as he was on his feet I rushed at him and threw punch after punch. Bryce had told me that this was one of Keir's weaknesses, martial arts. Thank god, it was one of my strengths. I settled into a stance and waited for my opponent. He settled into a stance as well and I attacked. I took a running start then threw a superman punch. Keir blocked it and swung his right fist at me in a hook. I caught the hook with my arm and trapped Keir's arm with it. I threw an uppercut with my right fist and took off Keir's helmet. I then twisted around and used the momentum of my movement to throw my opponent to the ground. I retrieved my swords with lightning and Keir struggled to get up. I approached him as he slowly got up and I threw the katana on the ground in front of him. "Pick it up." I growled.

Keir picked up the sword and I spun my blade in a figure right in front of me. Keir swung at me and I dodged the blow. I retaliated with a swing of my own. The two blades connected and the rich sound of steel on steel filled the air. Keir was using a two handed technique with the katana whereas I was using only one hand to weild my blade. I had a dagger in my right boot and I had figured out a possible solution to this duel. Keir swung at my neck and I took the opportunity and ducked under the blow and with my left hand, unsheathed the dagger from the boot. I swept my right leg at Keir and he jumped over the swipe. I stood back up and moved my sword to block Keir's next attack. I caught the sword with my sword and I spun on my right heel while I rotated the dagger in my left hand so the blade was facing opposite of my thumb.

I heard a gasp and I felt a warm liquid ooze onto my left hand. I yanked the dagger out of my opponents stomach and turned around to face him. Keir sank to his knees and I raised my sword across my body so that my right hand was parallel with my left shoulder. "So this is how it ends?" Keir whispered. He closed his eyes and I felt a feeling in my stomach.

I swept my right arm away and Keir's head fell to the ground in front of his body. The headless body fell to my left and lay there with blood seeping out of the neck and the stomach. I looked over to where Jacen and everyone else was and saw them take out handcuffs. I looked back to the headless body before me and with my right hand, I shot lightning at it until it caught fire. "Rest in piece." I murmured.

I walked back to the ropes and nearly collapsed due to exhaustion. I was caught by a large metallic hand. I looked up and saw Nightshade smiling down at me. "You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm just exhausted." I said.

"I'm glad that you're unharmed." Nightshade said.

"Me too, although unharmed might not be the word. I'm harmed inside my head."

"I understand that."

"You do?"

Nightshade nodded, "I went through a period of depression after I killed my first Decepticon. I haven't been the same since the war, I used to be a chatterbox and lively, now I'm a bit drawn back."

"Oh, how did you get over it?"

"I looked to see if my actions were justified. Did I kill for killings sake, or did I save lives by killing. I saw that my reasons were justified and I learned to let go of what I've done."

Nightshade then placed me on his right shoulder and walked back to camp. "Shade?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"Your welcome."

We reached the tent I shared with Jacen and Nightshade set me down. I went inside the tent and took my helmet off. I grabbed all of my belongings and placed them into a bag. Grabbing the bag and walking back outside to Shade, I felt more at peace. Shade and I walked back to where the Autobots were and a ground bridge opened up. The Autobots and I were joined by Jacen and the nine of us walked through back home.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter XX

Bridge to Uncertainty

**Ben's POV**

It had been a week now since Luke and Jacen had returned from the battle. Luke seemed extremely drawn into himself. He hasn't really spoken to anyone and he rarely came out of his room. I was starting to worry about him but Shadow told me to let him be.

Today was Saturday and I was doing homework in the human area of the main room of the Autobot base when Luke entered the room. He looked terrible. He hasn't shaved in a week and his facial hair was pretty scruffy, he had large bags under his eyes, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was walking in a limp.

"Hey, Luke." I called.

Luke gazed up at me and gave me a wave. He started to limp his way towards me and gingerly walked up the steps. "What's up Ben?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Nothing really." I replied, "I just haven't seen you lately and I wanted to check in on ya."

"You don't have to worry about me." Luke said with a pained smile. Luke looked down at my history homework and his smile turned genuine. "Your answer to number five is wrong." he said.

I looked down at my answer then looked at my older brother. "What's the answer then?" I asked.

"Well, for starters the Roman Empire didn't fully collapse until the year 476, but it didn't totally disappear. The Byzantine Empire lasted roughly another thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks." Luke said.

I looked down at my answer again and saw Luke was right, I had said the Roman Empire didn't fall until the fifteenth century. "Oh, thanks Luke."

"No problem." said Luke. He then reclined in his seat and closed his eyes. It seemed something was really bothering him and I'm sure it wasn't just the aftermath of the battle he had just been through.

"What else is bugging you?" I asked tentatively.

Luke opened his eyes out and leaned forward putting his elbows on his knees. Luke folded his hands and placed his chin on them. He looked be in the eye and said, "I keep seeing Keir's face." He closed his eyes for a brief moment then opened them again. "His face haunts me whenever I try to sleep. I can't get it out of my head."

I had no idea how to respond to that, it was downright depressing. "Talk to Optimus, he might know something to help." I suggested.

Luke shook his head. "No, Optimus has more pressing matters to worry about than the mind of an eighteen year old."

"Luke, you need help!" I said trying to get to his logical side.

"I know." Luke said softly, "I know."

"Then do something about it!"

Luke gave a small sad chuckle. "If only it was as easy as it sounded. You just can't get rid of something that will be imprinted in your mind for a long time in a matter of minutes or hours." he said.

"Please try. I'm really worried about you." I pleaded.

Luke looked at me and he gave me a half smile, "I will." he promised.

We sat there for the longest time, just sitting there. There wasn't talking, laughing, or joking, just sitting there enjoying the peace and quiet and each others presence. After a while Luke was humming a tune that seemed really familiar, but I couldn't put the name to the tune.

"What song is that?" I asked.

Luke cracked an eye open and replied, "Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana."

"Oh." A thought popped into my head because there were new posters around the school talking about a State Battle of the Bands competition in Las Vegas in two months. "Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to get the band back together and try to make it to the State Battle of the Bands?"

Luke opened his other eye and looked at me closely. "Sure, when is it?"

"Two months."

"Have you asked Jacen?"

I shook my head. "No I haven't. It just popped into my head now as I was thinking about it."

Luke nodded in understanding. He stood up and stretched, then winced.

"You ok?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's just the bruised ribs I have." Luke replied, "I'll be fine."

I looked my brother up and down with an eyebrow raised, but he didn't seem to notice. Luke gingerly walked down the stairs and back towards the corridor. I sighed and shook my head just as Shadow entered the base. She transformed and looked at me with concern.

"You alright, kid?" asked Shadow.

"Yeah, just worried about Luke." I answered.

"You sure do seen stressed." Shadow said.

"Today has been the first day in a week since Luke has shown any type of life."

"Just give him some more time." Shadow said, "He'll get over this eventually."

"What if he doesn't?" I asked turning to my guardian.

"I've seen the look Luke has on a lot of Bots. I might've even looked like that when I had first entered the war." Shadow said, "It's a time of uncertainty for every soldier when they kill a person face to face."

"Shadow?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Could we go for a ride later?"

Shadow smiled and replied, "I was wondering when you were going to ask me that."

"So I take that as a yes?"

"Bingo." Shadow said with a wink, then walked away.

I smiled and shook my head. Classic Shadow.

**Jacen's POV**

In the week since Luke's duel, I had been relatively busy at Sector 8 going through all of the records of the MECH soldiers we had arrested. Today, I had just finished going through all twenty thousand papers. I held my head in my hands for a couple of moments in relief, then rubbed the tiredness from my eyes.

I got up from behind the desk in my office and went outside into the hallway. I walked to where Blaze was supposed to be waiting and groaned when I saw that he wasn't there. "You've got to he kidding me!" I grumbled.

Metallic footsteps sounded throughout the warehouse on Sector 8's grounds and I looked behind me to see Blaze just walking in. I put my hands on my hips and said, "You're late."

"Sorry, Jacen." Blaze said, "I had to talk things over with Prime."

"What things?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Basically how Luke is handling himself and how he and Shade are talking things out." Blaze answered.

"Oh." I said feeling a bit guilty. I should've known that Blaze wouldn't have been late if it wasn't for a stupid reason.

Blaze transformed and opened the driverside door. "Ready?" he asked.

In response I got in.

We drove in silence for awhile before Blaze asked, "How was work?"

I snorted. "I swear that I'm working with incompetent idiots." I said.

Blaze chuckled at that and then said, "Go on."

"It's been a week since Luke won that duel that enabled us to arrest all of those people and Sector 8 seems to think I'm the only one that needs to do paper work." I ranted, "Some of the people that came to me over the past week didn't know what certain things ment in people's records."

"Such as…"

"What parole ment."

"That is a bit incompetent." Blaze agreed.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"Sane old, same old." Blaze answered. I rolled my eyes at that response. "But," that caught my attention, "Megatron seems to be more active than usual."

My heart started pounding, was he looking for Luke again? "He's…he's not looking for Luke again…is he?" I asked.

"We don't know. Optimus thinks that Megatron is obsessed with an old prophecy thinking that it belongs to him."

"What's the prophecy?" I asked curiously.

"I'm not sure what it actually says, but in summary that the strong will rise above the weak and when the planets align, there will be no stopping the strong."

"And I take it that the planetary alignment is starting?"

"Yeah."

I whistled. Luke, buddy, I hope that we'll be able to help the Bots. I thought.

We drove for another five minutes before we entered a ground bridge back home. Blaze stopped and I got out. Blaze transformed behind me and I saw that Ratchet wasn't in the main room, which was extremely uncharacteristic for him. The Autobots medic was always typing on the computer…unless someone was hurt.

Blaze must've reached the same conclusion that I had, because we both rushed to the med bay. What I saw almost broke my heart…laying there barely clinging to life was Raf. I saw Arcee restraining Bumblebee, and Jack and Miko looking grim, Shadow and Ben were nowhere to be found, and Shade was looking down at Raf sadly. When my gaze fell onto my twin brother, I felt a twinge of fear strike my heart. Luke looked murderous. His tiredness replaced with pure hatred. "What happened?" I asked.

"Megatron shot Bee and Raf got hurt as a result." Arcee said.

I glanced over at Luke and then turned my attention to Ratchet. "Will he be ok?" I asked.

"I…I don't know." Ratchet admitted.

Luke stood up and walked out of the room. He had grown fond of Raf during the brief time that we Porters had moved here. I followed Luke out of the med bay and I could see how angry he was because black lightning was encircling both of his arms. I followed my twin brother to the training room where I entered just in time to see Luke blast the lightning into a target with a yell of frustration. I looked to the target and saw only a smoking frame. Luke was breathing heavily and I could see his shoulders shaking as they elevated and then relaxed with each breath.

"Raf will be fine, Luke." I tried to assure him.

Luke whipped around and asked, _"How do you know?" _

I frowned as I noticed that Luke had spoken in a different language. "Because, everything has a purpose and I know that Ratchet is the best doctor we have available." I said, "Ratchet will not let any of us humans die, even if he says how much he dislikes humans, he won't let us die under his watch."

"I'm crossing a bridge to uncertainty, Jace." Luke muttered sadly as he lowered his eyes to the ground.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I stepped forward towards Luke.

"Everytime I seem to come to grips with what I've done, something happens that brings back the memory, the pain, the self-loathing." Luke said. He raised his eyes and we looked one another in the eye. "The innocent always seem to get hurt and bastards like Megatron and Silas don't seem to have a care in the world on who they affect."

"I can't say that I understand what you're going through, but I can say that I will be available to talk, if you ever want to." I said. I stepped forward again, and this time Luke stepped forward as well. We embraced and I whispered into Luke's ear, "I will always be here for you bro, you don't have to go through things alone."

**Luke's POV**

It had been an hour since Jacen and I had talked in the training room, and I was sitting topside overlooking the Nevada desert. I realized that I did have to pull myself together, that I didn't have to go through this alone. That realization brought me a moment of peace and relaxation. I made my prosthetic hand into a fist and then opened it. I looked down at the hand and brought my left hand to compare. I missed my real arm at some points, like now. I wanted to be a normal person again, before all of this crazy shit with lightning, superhuman reflexes, MECH, the Cons, and the Bots. Ever since I had my right arm below the elbow replaced with a prosthetic, I refrained from wearing sleeveless tees, and regular tee shirts, I didn't want to attract any more attention to myself than the scar on my face already brought.

I closed my eyes and once again saw Keir looking into my eyes and asking himself, "So this is how it ends?" I could hear those words as clear as a bird singing in a quiet forest. I snapped my eyes open but Keir's face was still burnt to my eyes.

My mind then wandered to where I had spoke to Jacen in a different language. What was it? I leaned back and tried to think, but I couldn't recall what language it was in. Jacen had understood what I had said, but he didn't tell me that I had spoken another language. I sighed and let that thought go out of mind. I was brought back to the present with the sound of a motorcycle approaching. I looked down and saw Shadow with Ben riding her coming back from a ride. I smiled and closed my eyes once again. The time for self pity was over, the time for second guessing myself was almost over, but the bridge to uncertainty that I had crossed, there was no way I could find a way back to the side that I once knew.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter XXI

Sacrifices

**Luke's POV**

It's Sunday morning and I'm once again sitting on top or the base. There was something about the morning air in the desert that made me feel exuberant and alive. I took a deep breath and then let it out. "So, you're one of the warriors Primus marked." A voice said behind me.

I stood up and whirled around drawing my pistol, I didn't go anywhere without it. There standing before me was a man made of rock and stone. He was about six foot seven inches and he had spikes all over the place. "Who the hell are you?" I demanded.

"You poor soul." the thing said scornfully as it stepped closer.

I clicked the safety off and pulled back and loaded a cartridge into the chamber. "Don't come any closer." I said.

The thing laughed and looked at my with amusement. "You think that you can defy my, Unicron the Destroyer? Ha! That's the downfall of many." it said.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" I asked aiming at Unicron's head.

"Because, I am here to offer you the chance to become my disciple, for you to become a warrior that surpasses all that have come before you."

"I'm good, thanks." I replied. I pulled the trigger and the rock and stone figure of Unicron shattered and fell to pieces on the ground before me. I clicked the safety back on and reholstered my gun and sat back down to look over the desert.

I sighed and after two hours of looking over the landscape I headed back to my room. I couldn't believe that Aunt June had almost taken Raf back to Jasper, but they were stopped my a freak storm. It was extremely odd, storms were occurring across the planet and they all had similarities. Optimus was afraid that it was Unicron that was causing all of the problems, and he thought that Unicron was Earth. That made no sense to me, why world the Devil of Cybertron be the creator of planet Earth? Not to mention that I just met like an avatar of the creep.

Outside my room I heard a large commotion and Miko yelling. Curious, I got up off my bed and exited my room and headed towards the main room. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a familiar foreboding figure…Megatron.

**Ben's POV**

I had been sitting in the rafters when Megatron had made his entrance. I nearly fell of the beam I had been sitting on. I lost track of the entire conversation down below, but I noticed Luke when he entered the room. He looked shocked, scared, pissed off, and murderous. He might have been subconsciously fingering the grip of his Glock 17, and maybe it was conscious. I let myself fall from the rafters and landed on my feet in front of everyone, but next to Luke.

Megatron turned his attention to Luke and me, and smiled at us. "Hello there, humans." he said.

"Hello, Megadouche." Luke growled.

Megatron laughed and Luke stepped in front of me. "Are you going to join my service again, Mr. Porter?" Megatron sneered.

"Fuck off." Luke snarled, "I'd rather get killed by a scraplet than join the Decepticons."

"I'll remember you said that." Megatron said with a smile.

"Megatron," Optimus interrupted, "we have places to be."

"Of course, Prime how could I forget." Megatron replied.

Ratchet opened a ground bridge and Megatron, Optimus, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead went through. Miko tried to follow them, but a solid wall of black surrounded her so that she couldn't leave.

"Ahh." Miko groaned.

"Not today, Miko." Luke said as the ground bridge then closed. Luke let the lightning disperse, allowing Miko to move. "Where's Jacen, Shade, Blaze, and mom?" he asked.

"They went to the store about an hour or so ago." I answered.

"Alright." Luke said. He turned around and faced me and said, "I need to talk to you alone."

"Alright…" Luke led me to the training room and closed the door behind us. "What's going on?" I asked.

Luke turned once again to face me and asked, "Have you been experiencing anything weird lately?"

"Define weird." I said crossing my arms.

Luke sighed impatiently and crossed his arms as well. "Weird tingling sensations, seeing things play out in your mind before it actually happens, anything like that?"

I thought for a moment and looked down at the floor, then back at Luke. "Actually," I said, "yes."

"Like…" Luke prodded while motioning with his hand.

"I've felt tingling sensations in both hands and that's about it." I said.

"When did you start feeling those sensations?"

"I don't know, about a week ago."

Luke turned away from me muttering under his breath, but I did catch a bit of what he was saying. I understood none of it. "Cur hoc fieri habent nunc?"

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing, just talking to myself." Luke replied.

**Luke's POV**

I had done it again! I'm talking in frickin tounges! I walked out of the training room and headed to my own room. I got there, shut the door behind me, and was startled when I heard, "What's going on?"

Out of reflex, I unholstered my Glock and in that moment the lights turned on. Standing before me was Shade's holoform. I lowered my gun and reholstered it. "Shade, you scared the living hell out of me." I said.

"Sorry, but I would like my answer." Shade said.

"Optimus, Cee, Bee, and Bulk went with Megatron to fight Unicron." I said.

"So they actually did invite the creep to base." Shade mused. "I wasn't really asking about that, I was asking about you."

"Besides the fact that at certain points I'm talking in a language that I do not know?" I asked rhetorically, "I'm fine."

"Can you speak it now?" Shade asked.

"Nescio, Umbra." I answered.

"You're speaking Latin." Shade informed me.

I frowned, Latin? "Non etiam lingua sciat loqui!" I protested.

"Apparantly, you do." Shade said.

"How come I can hear it as English in my head but it comes out in Latin?" I asked.

"I don't know." Shade replied, "You could ask Ratchet."

I shook my head, "No, Ratchet has a lot on his plate already, I don't need to bother him."

"Fair enough." Shade said.

"Where's my mom?"

"Talking to Ratchet about Optimus."

"What about him?"

"The fact that she's worried what will happen to him, because the only way to defeat Unicron is to use the Matrix of Leadership."

"If the Matrix of Leadership is what makes a Prime a Prime, wouldn't giving that up mean…" I stopped short and my eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god!"

"What?" Shade asked, "You're confusing me Luke."

"If Optimus gives up the Matrix, he's giving up himself." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm guessing that Optimus wasn't always a Prime, and with the Matrix gone, I'm thinking that Optimus will lose the memories of being a Prime and revert back to who he was before."

Shade's eyes widened in shock, and the two of us practically burst out of my room and to the main room. Shade's holoform disappeared and his Cybertronian form stood up from a corner.

"Ratchet!" I exclaimed while running up to him.

"Hold on Luke, I'm bringing the others back." Ratchet said shushing me.

"Damn it, Ratchet! This is important!"

"If it's about Optimus, I already know." Ratchet said.

"You do?" I asked surprised.

Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee came through the ground bridge looking extremely grim around the mouth. Jack, Miko, Raf, Fowler, and Aunt June rushed to meet them.

"Arcee." said Jack

"I was worried Bulk." said Miko.

"You alright Bee?" asked Raf

"And Optimus is he…" Ratchet left hanging.

"Dead? No." Arcee answered, then looked down at the ground closing her eyes.

"But he looked right at us without recognizing us." said Bulkhead, "He didn't even know his own name."

"When Optimus surrendered the Matrix of Leadership he lost more than the collective wisdom of the Primes." Ratchet said sadly. "He lost his own memories."

"Luke, you look pale." Shadow pointed out.

"I'm fine. I just came to that same conclusion about two minutes before Arcee, Bee, and Bulk got back." I said.

I turned away from everyone and walked away, but I stopped short. I turned back around and looked at the Autobots. Blaze just walked into the room and a feeling that I had been getting in my stomach grew. "Where's Jacen?" I asked.

**Jacen's POV**

_During the same time as Luke's POV, except when he, Shade, Blaze, and his mother go into town._

I had convinced the others to go back to the base, and that I'd finish the shopping and call them when I needed pickup. I realized now, that had been a major mistake.

It was storming outside and I couldn't get a signal. "Shit." I cursed.

It was going to be a long walk back to base. Shrugging the groceries that I had placed into a camping backpack, I walked along the roads until I got to the highway. I walked down the highway and towards the exit that I would need, when I felt a chill crawl up my spine.

Cautiously, I placed my right hand underneath the jacket I was wearing, and unholstered the Glock 17 that Luke had traded me. I turned around and saw a figure rising from the ground. It looked like an ancient man, but it had Cybertronian characteristics.

"Interesting…" the thing said in a suave voice. It was eerily deceptive.

The voice seemed like it was warm and open, but the purple eyes, and the evil smile made the voice down right creepy.

"What's interesting?" I asked.

"The fact that I've now met two insignificant life forms favored by Primus." it said smiling.

"Who are you?"

"I am Unicron the Destroyer, Unicron the Magnificent, Unicron the…"

"Narcissistic." I interrupted.

Unicron smiled at me again, very creepy, and said, "Very much like the other Chosen. Young, foolish, and containing spirit."

"I'm not interested in what you have to say to me." I said turning my back to the Unicron and started to walk away when he said, "The other one must be your brother."

I stopped in my tracks and whirled around. Unicron smiled as if he knew he had hit a nerve, which he had, and stepped forward. More manifestations of him appeared on all sides, surrounding me, all of them my height. "I'm sure that you're more open to what I have to say than that insolent brother of yours."

"Like I said, I'm not interested."

"Oh, but you are, Jacen Porter, you are." Unicron said. All four of the earthy things stepped forward. "I can sense the jealousy that you harbor deep down for your…twin…very interesting…"

I brought up the Glock and aimed it at the Unicron in front of me.

"I had a twin once. I was betrayed, knocked out of the galaxy that we had ruled together. I was left to be a shadow, a nameless fear, a myth." Unicron said. I clicked the safety off. "I was left to rot by my dear twin brother." that part Unicron spit out like he had been chewing on a bad fruit. "I understand the jealousy inside of you."

"There is no jealousy!" I snapped.

"No? Well, I guess a Cybertronian god can be wrong sometimes." Unicron chuckled. He looked at me intently and asked, "Will you join me willingly, or would you rather join with the Decepticons?"

"Neither." I said as I pulled the trigger. The Unicron in front of me collapsed into a pile of dirt and the other three smiled, then disappeared.

"You are like your brother." Unicron's voice commented, "He shot me as well. Oh well, I gave you the chance to serve me, now you'll just perish with the rest of these leaches and vermin that have been surviving off of me."

The voice went with the wind and all the hair on my body stood up. A lightning bolt came at me, and time seemed to slow. I lifted my left hand and caught the bolt and with my right hand, I let the bolt go. I walked away from the scene and headed towards the exit in a jog. In about twenty minutes of just jogging, I reached the base. The huge side panel opened and I kept jogging. I got inside the base and saw that Luke was walking away from everyone. He stopped and turned back around seeming to remember something and asked, "Where's Jacen?"

"I'm…right here…" I said panting.

The Autobots turned around and looked at me in surprise and I looked over at Blaze and said, "Sorry I didn't call, I couldn't get a signal."

"That's alright." Blaze said.

I walked over to Luke and placed my hand on his shoulder. "We need to talk." I said.

"I agree, somewhere private too." Luke said.

I nodded and the two of us walked to where the kitchen was and I put all of the groceries into the fridge, and the canned goods in the pantry. "Where's Optimus?" I asked.

"He's gone." Luke said in a pained voice.

I turned around frowning, "What do you mean, he's gone?" I asked.

"He gave up his memories to stop Unicron, whom I'm assuming you've met, and he became who he was before he was Optimus Prime." Luke explained.

"How did you know I met Unicron?" I asked my twin in surprise.

"You have the same look in your eyes that I had after I met the creep." Luke answered.

"That obvious, huh?"

"No, only to me." Luke said. He looked at my intently, "What did he tell you?"

"Nothing really, just that he had met you, he discovered that we're twins, he told me a sob story about how he once had a twin too, then asked if I'd rather be a Decepticon or join him." I paused. "I said neither, then shot him."

"Funny that you shot him, I did the same." Luke said with a cockeyed smile.

"That's what Unicron said."

The two of us chuckled and Luke turned serious again. "Ben's starting to change." he said.

"Change how?"

"He's becoming like us, and Unicron said that I was one of the warriors Primus marked, I'm assuming that he said the same to you." I nodded and Luke continued, "If Ben is becoming like us, then he too had been marked my Primus. From what I understand about the Cybertronian culture is that Primus is their creator, and if the creator of Cybertron chose the three of us, what made us special and what made us candidates?"

"But if Ben is becoming like the two of us, wouldn't that place him in danger of the Cons and MECH wanting him like they wanted you?" I asked.

"That's only if they find out." Luke said with a gleam in his eye, "This conversation stays between the two of us, we share it with no one."

I nodded, "That's the most obvious thing, we don't want that tidbit of information to accidentally slip."

"Exactly."

"Anything else that we need to talk about?" I asked.

"Actually, yes." Luke said, "Ben asked if I wanted to get the band back together for the Battle of the Bands competition in Las Vegas."

"I don't really see where this is going."

"I had agreed, I was wondering if you're interested in coming back."

"Sure, why not." I said smiling.

"The prize money for first is twelve thousand dollars, second is nine thousand, and third is six thousand."

My smile grew bigger. "That sounds extra enticing, when's the competition?"

"Two months from yesterday."

"I'll be there if you and Ben will be."

"Sounds like a date."

**Authors Note:**

**Nescio, Umbra.- means I don't know, Shade**

**Non etiam lingua sciat loqui!-means I don't even know how to speak the language!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter XXII

Return of Optimus Prime

**Ben's POV**

It was a bit nerve wrecking when Jack and Arcee went to Cybertron to go to Vector Sigma. The taking of the space bridge had come as a complete surprise to the Decepticons, they hadn't gotten a chance to call for back up. Even if Jack and Arcee succeeded in getting the memories restored into the key, how were the Bots going to get to Optimus?

I needed to do something to take my mind off of what was going on, so I went to the training room to maybe practice shooting a gun or just practice some fighting moves. I entered the training room and saw that Luke and Jacen must've had the same idea that I had, and they were fencing.

It was quite the sight to behold. The two of them were using wooden swords that were the same weight as the swords they had. The sound of wood striking wood resounded throughout the room and the poses, the movement, and the breath taking dance contained an element of grace.

Luke and Jacen stopped after five minutes and they set the practice swords on the ground and went to a bench and sat down. I walked over to the two and sat down next to Jacen. My older brothers were panting and smelled of sweat.

"Can you teach me how to fence?" I asked the two.

"Why?" asked Luke.

I shrugged my shoulders, "It seems interesting and I think that it would be a good exercise." I answered.

"It isn't a game to me and Luke, Ben." Jacen said.

"Why do the two of you fence then?" I asked frowning.

"You were never informed on how I had won that duel, were you?" Luke asked me.

"No. I don't see where you're going with this." I said.

"I killed my opponent with a sword, I killed him in a sword fight." Luke said darkly.

"Oh." I said, my enthusiasm gone.

"So to answer your question on why Jacen and I fence, it's because it's a necessity, and a down of discipline." Luke said.

Luke then stood up and and walked so that he was four paces in front of me then turned around. He looked at me and motioned for me to stand up, to which I complied.

"What are you doing?" Jacen asked Luke.

"If he wants to learn, he wants to learn." Luke replied.

I looked at Luke in surprise, was he actually going to teach me? Luke turned away from me and went to where his practice sword was laying. He crouched down and picked it up. Luke then twirled the sword in a complex series of movements, making circles in front of him, a figure eight on his right side, then he ended with flipping the practice sword behind his back and transferred the hilt from his right hand to his left.

"Before we start," Luke said, "we need to make a sword that suits your personality and one that will fit your fighting style."

"Ok, how do we do that?" I asked.

"First of all, the sword isn't a tool, or a weapon, but rather an extension of an arm. The connection that you make with your blade can either kill you, or save your life." Luke said looking me right in the eyes. "Is that part clear?" I nodded. "Good, second I need to see how you're going to respond to pressure, how you move."

Luke walked over to me and took me by the shoulder and led me to a rack where there were wooden cylinders. Each cylinder was about three and a half feet in length and about six inches in diameter. He picked up a cylinder and handed it to me.

I looked at him with a blank look and he rolled his eyes. "Hold the thing out straight out from your body, pointing it forward." he said.

I did what Luke told me to do, and Luke then took measurements with his hands and fingers. Luke prodded my arms, back, shoulders, and legs before finishing his scrutiny. Luke then knelt down and unsheathed a dagger from one of his boots and stood back up. He then made little cuts in certain places and nodded in satisfaction and said, "Lower your arm." I complied and Luke made another series of little cuts and indents closer to my hand. Luke stepped back and looked the wooden cylinder up and down with a critical eye. "The little cuts and indents I made are for a reason. I want you to cut a straight line down from the top to the little indents I made my your hand. Do that on both sides and come back when you're finished." he said.

**Luke's POV**

After I had sent Ben to go and do his task, Jacen walked over to me. He looked at me with an odd look on his face and I shrugged.

"Is there a point to having Ben make his own practice sword?" Jacen asked.

"Yeah, I wanna see if he's commuted enough to what he wants to learn, and by having him make his own practice sword, I can gauge how much he really wants to learn." I answered.

"If he makes an absolutely shitty sword, what then?"

"Oh, I don't think that Ben'll make a terrible sword, not if he follows the directions I gave him."

"A test within a test. Very clever." a deep baritone voice said behind Jacen and me.

The two of us turned around and standing there was Optimus Prime. "Optimus?" we asked.

"Yes, I am here." the Prime answered.

"So, I take it that the entire Vector Sigma thing worked." Jacen stated.

"Indeed it did." Optimus said. His voice turned grave when he continued. "While I was on board the Decepticon warship, I made a startling discovery. There is something called the Iacon Database, it contains crypted locations of relics from many millennia ago."

"I don't see what that has to do with us." I said.

"I was wondering if the two of you would help us decrypt the database." Optimus said.

"These relics, what do they do?" Jacen asked.

"Some of them are weapons, others medicine, others tools." Optimus answered.

"You want us to help you find weapons of mass destruction?" I asked, "Aren't they better left unearthed?"

"Yes I require your help, but would you rather have we Autobots posses them, or the Decepticons?"

"Touché." I said. I looked over at Jacen and he nodded and a moment of understanding passed between us. I looked back at Optimus and said, "We're in."

**Jacen's POV**

I groaned as the code I was working only gave me one number 46. I looked over at Luke, who was working on the same code I was, and asked, "Are you having better luck than me? I can't get a thing."

"Yeah, I've gotten half of a coordinate." Luke replied.

"We've been working on this for ten minutes, and you've already decrypted half of the code?"

"Yeah, so far I've got 46.7208 degrees North." Luke answered.

Ben came walking into the room with a big smile on his face, and holding a completed practice sword. "I finished, Luke." Ben said proudly.

"Good." Luke said with a slight smile looking up from his laptop.

"What are the two of you working on?" Ben asked.

"Decrypting the Iacon Database." I answered.

"Shadow was telling me about that, I thought that Optimus was working on it." Ben said frowning.

"Optimus asked us for our help." Luke explained, "We couldn't just turn him down."

"Because the two of you are world class hackers?" Ben asked.

"Luke's more of the world class hacker." I said.

"Optimus!" Luke yelled.

All of the Autobots came running into the training room and looked expectantly at Luke.

"Found a relic." Luke said.

"Where?" Ratchet asked in shock.

"Well, the coordinates are 46.708 degrees North, and 92.103 degrees West." Luke replied.

All of us then went to the main room and Ratchet plugged the coordinates into the computer and frowned. "It's a populated area." he said.

"How many people?" I asked.

"Twenty seven thousand." Ratchet replied.

"Well, you Autobots can't go in there guns a blazing." Luke said.

"What do you propose we do then?" Ratchet asked Luke sarcastically.

"Send me to the location."

Ratchet let out a small laugh and looked down at Luke and said, "Do you have any idea how silly that sounds! It's totally absurd!"

"It will work, Ratchet." Optimus said.

"But, Optimus…"

"Would you prefer the Cons get there first?" Luke asked.

"No." Ratchet said grumpily.

"Good, now we're agreed." Luke said. He looked at Nightshade and asked, "You comin?"

"You'd have to place stasis cuffs on my and throw me in the Pit to stop me." Nightshade answered with a smile.

Luke half smiled back, "Perfect, I just need to get my affects."

"Your what?" Arcee asked.

"Gun, sword, warm clothes." Luke replied.

"Why warm clothes?" Arcee asked.

"It's the end of January, beginning of February." Luke said, "That means that it's the middle of winter in the Mid-West, the average temperature is going to be around three degrees Fahrenheit."

"Oh." Arcee said, "Do you have any warm clothes?"

"Yeah, I just need to get them."

Luke left for his room to go and get his things together, and I could already picture mom coming home from work and shooting lasers out of her eyes at the Bots for letting my brother go. The image made me smile to myself.

Luke returned wearing jeans, a longsleeved shirt, and was carrying gloves, a hat, and a winter coat. I noticed that he had his Glock holstered underneath his left arm, like cops do, and he had a silver cylinder attatched to his belt. I raised an eyebrow in a questioning glance, and Luke answered, "My sword."

I nodded and looked over at the gathered Autobots. Nightshade transformed into his Dodge Viper alt mode and opened the drivers side door. Luke got in the car and Ratchet opened a ground bridge. Nightshade drove into the ground bridge and I whispered, "Good luck and be safe."

**On Board the **_**Nemesis**_

"My Lord Megatron." Knockout said.

"What is it Knockout?" Megatron asked impatiently.

"Soundwave has just decoded an Iacon code." Knockout answered.

"Where?" Megatron asked fully alert now.

"In a small city in Northern Wisconsin." Knockout said.

"Populated?"

"Twenty-seven thousand."

Megatron smirked knowing full well that Optimus wouldn't dare send Autobots to get a relic when it was in a human populated area. "Knockout…"

"Yes, my liege?"

"Get our new troops ready to go on their first mission." Megatron said with an evil smile as five human sized silhouettes appeared in the doorway.

"With pleasure, my Lord."

As Knockout went to give the missions to Megatron's newest additions, Megatron smiled and thought _Since you or your Autobots won't be going to this little town called Superior, you'll send a human in your stead. Hopefully it's that Porter brat that has defied me for too long. The game begins, Prime!_

**Authors Note:**

**I'd like to thank Guest: Princess of Dreams for reviewing, it's nice to know that I have a loyal follower. **

**Please R&R **


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter XXIII

From a Brawl to Riddles

**Luke's POV**

Nightshade and I were dropped off from the ground bridge at a beach. I got out of Nightshade and placed my Blutooth into my right ear. "Where's the relic, Ratchet?" I asked.

"It should be in the area that the ground bridge dropped you off at." the medic replied.

I heard a twig snap in the trees behind me and I whirled around but didn't see anything. "Alright, thanks Ratchet." I said.

A chilling wind from the lake pulled at my clothing and I shivered a little. "Let's go find that relic." I said to Shade.

A holoform of Shade appeared next to me and I handed Shade my pistol. "You don't honestly think I'll need this, do you?" Shade asked me.

I shrugged, "You never know." I replied, then I switched to Latin, "Sumus observabant."

Shade nodded and stuck the Glock in one of his "pockets" and the two of us walked off the beach and into the wooded area. "The relic should be around here." Shade said as we approached a glade within the wood.

I saw something flash and I narrowed my eyes. I saw what looked like a wristwatch and I walked over to it and knelt down. "Shade, what's this?" I asked as I picked it up. It felt heavier than a wristwatch should, and instead of a clock, it had a stone that was half blue and half purple, forming a sphere. I put my thumb on the jewel and the thing shrunk down to the size of my ring size, which is 11.5.

Shade's holoform came over and knelt next to me and held out some type of meter, which went crazy beeping. "This is the relic alright." he said.

"It's an odd thing, why would the Cons want this?"

"I honestly don't know Luke."

I put the ring on my prosthetics ring finger out of curiosity and nothing happened. "Maybe it only works for Cybertronians." I said as I tried to take the ring off, but it didn't budge. I frowned and tried twisting it off, but it still wouldn't come off. I took some snow off the ground and got my finger wet and cold, then twisted and pulled the ring. I cursed when I realized that the ring wasn't coming off. I stood back up and looked at Shade and said, "Looks like it isn't coming off."

"Looks that way." Shade agreed.

"What do you think it does?" I asked.

"Who knows? Your guess is as good as mine." Shade said with a shrug.

I touched the Blutooth in my ear and Ratchet answered, "Do you have it?"

"If you're asking about the relic, yeah we have it." I answered.

"Good, I'll send a ground bridge at the location we dropped you off at in five minutes." Ratchet said.

"Copy that…oomph!" I said then groaned as I was tackled to the ground from behind. The Blutooth flew out of my ear and into the snow. I lashed out behind me with my left hand and I heard a grunt as a body rolled off of me. I stood up and grabbed my sword hilt and activated the blade.

"Luke?" Ratchet's voice asked from the Blutooth, "Luke, are you there?"

I turned around and saw Shade fighting with someone, but I couldn't see who it was. A black metal body that resembled a Terminator stood up from where I had knocked it off of me. A blade extended from each of the robots arms and it advanced towards me. I spun my sword in a little flurish at my side and with my left hand I beckoned the robot to attack.

The robot wasted no time and charged at me. It swung one arm sword in an overhead cut, and the other was a thrust at my chest. I quickly switched my sword to my left hand and caught the cut, and with my prosthetic I deflected the thrust. The relic started to glow with a mixture of blue and violet light, and the next thing I knew I was holding another sword.

I kicked the robot away and inspected the sword that had just materialized out of nowhere. It was a double edged sword with a single fuller running down the length of the blade. The blade was three feet in length and it was extremely light. The robot charged at me again and attacked with a flurry of blows, cuts, thrusts, and swipes. I blocked them out of reflex and retaliated with my own attacks. I ended up cutting off one of the robots arms and I formed an X with the two blades I had and caught an overhead blow that would've cut me in half from head to groin. I kicked the robot away again and I rushed forward attacking. I swept the robots remaining arm away with the sword in my left hand, and with a follow up swing from my right I cut off the robots head. I stood in the cold winter air and heard the sound of rushing feet approaching me from behind. I turned around and saw three more of those robot things charging at me. I honestly didn't think that I could take on all three at once. I looked frantically around for Nightshade's holoform, but it wasn't anywhere to be seen.

A blue blast flew out of nowhere and hit the three charging robots. The smoke cleared and the three robots lay on the ground in a smoking non moving heap. Nightshade came into view and transformed back into his Viper form.

"Thanks, Shade." I said as the sword I was holding in my prosthetic disappeared. I wondered at that for a moment then let it pass, it was a Cybertronian piece of machinery anyway.

I walked over to where the Blutooth lay on the ground and picked it up and put it in my pocket. I turned around to walk back to Nightshade when a single shot rang out and I felt a piercing pain in my stomach.

"Luke!" Nightshade yelled.

I sank to my knees and in the fading light, I could see dark red stains fall onto the snow. "Oh, so that's what it was." I murmured softly. I started to feel cold, and I couldn't tell if it was from the loss of blood or if it was from the cold.

"Ratchet! We need a ground bridge now!" I heard Nightshade yell, but it sounded as if it were an echo from a distance.

I felt myself getting picked up and I saw a green swirling vortex appear in front of me and then it got closer. I closed my eyes as my body felt cold and I couldn't move my arms or legs, fingers or toes.

As if hearing things from a distance, I could barely hear what was going on, but I assumed that I was back at the base. After what seemed like ages, I lost conscious thought and surrendered to the welcoming embrace of the darkness.

**Ben's POV**

I was cautiously watching the progress that Luke and Nightshade were making hunting for the relic. Ratchet was looking at the screen more intensely than he usually did. There was a beep that said that Luke had activated the Blutooth.

"Do you have it?" Ratchet asked.

"If you're asking about the relic, yeah we have it." Luke answered.

"Good, I'll send a ground bridge at the location we dropped you off at in five minutes." Ratchet said.

"Copy that…oomph!" Luke replied then groaned.

"Luke? Luke are you there?" Ratchet asked.

There wasn't a reply for quite some time and I looked over at Ratchet and asked worriedly, "Do you think that they're alright?"

"I'm…I'm not sure, Ben." Ratchet said sadly.

After another fifteen minutes of silence, Nightshade's voice came through and he sounded pained and worried, "Ratchet! We need a ground bridge now!"

Ratchet quickly opened a ground bridge from the coordinates Nightshade called from, and then a sight that stopped my heart came into view. "By the AllSpark!" Ratchet gasped in shock. "Get him to the med bay!"

Nightshade carried Luke's limp body to the med bay and set him down on a bed. Nightshade looked extremely distraught and Ratchet hooked Luke up to a lot of machines, and stabilized him. He washed Luke's blood off of his hands and looked at Nightshade and asked, "What happened?"

"We found the relic and after we had contacted you, we were attacked by human sized robots, black as night too." Nightshade shook his head and then continued, "I killed one of them then got rid of my holoform and when I went back to Luke, another robot was down and three more were rushing towards him. I took out the three rushing at him, and he got the Blutooth, turned around and was shot."

"Where's the relic? Was it taken?" I asked.

"The relic is right there," Nightshade said pointing to Luke, "on his finger."

Ratchet looked at Nightshade in shock and asked, "Luke's wearing the Ring of the Primes?"

Nightshade nodded and I held up my hands in protest and complained, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. The what?"

"The Ring of the Primes." Nightshade said looking down at me.

"What exactly is it?" I asked, still not following.

"The Ring of the Primes is a ring forged by Solus Prime, it can create anything out of nothing if the wearer thinks about it. It makes what is needed, but there's a catch." Ratchet explained, "The catch is that the Ring chooses who wears it, it isn't chosen by who wants to wear it."

"So, this ring chose my brother?" I asked to clarify.

"Exactly." Ratchet said.

"Why not Optimus?"

"Because if your brother were a Cybertronian," Optimus said, "he already would've been a Prime."

Ratchet, Nightshade, and I whipped around to see Optimus standing in the doorway looking down at Luke sadly. "Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Luke had placed others well being before his own. Luke was willing to lay his own life down in order to protect the soldiers in Sector 8 from the turrets, then his duel with Keir to prevent any more bloodshed. In fact, the three oldest human children would've been Primes if they had been Cybertronian." Optimus said.

"You really think that Jacen, Jack, and Luke would've been Primes?" I asked astonished.

Optimus nodded, looked away from Luke to me, Ratchet, and Nightshade and said, "I entrusted the key to Vector Sigma to Jack, which a Prime had possessed for millennia. Jacen and Nightblaze are on a mission to find a relic that I'm certain is one of the lost treasures of the Primes, which will only respond to the presence of a Prime. Finally, Luke has been chosen by the Ring of the Primes."

"That's touching." All four of us turned our attention back to the medical bed and saw Luke sitting up with a purple and blue aura around him, sort of like a bubble. "What?" Luke asked innocently.

"How are you not unconscious?" Ratchet asked.

Luke shrugged and looked down at his stomach like it pained him, which I'm positive that it did. "I don't know, doc." Luke said. He looked back up and winced. A 5.56x45mm bullet fell out of Luke's stomach and onto his lap. "Well, that's just wrong!" Luke exclaimed in disgust.

The blue and purple aura disappeared and Luke swung his legs off the bed so that he was sitting with his feet touching the floor and had his back strait. Luke looked keenly at Optimus and asked, "Where's Jacen, you said he went on a mission, a mission for what?"

"To try and solve a riddle, see if anyone knows the answer." Optimus answered.

"Well, they couldn't waited until I came back, I love riddles!" Luke said, he seemed to think about something for a moment then asked, "Why would this relic choose me, what makes me special?"

"I'm not one to question the motives of a relic that was created long ago. It chose you and you have to live with the fact that it'll never come off." Optimus said.

"Alright, I'll just get up and go to my room." Luke said standing up. He almost fell over until a cane materialized in his right hand and stabilized him. "This thing comes in handy."

Luke exited the med bay and Ratchet, Optimus, Nightshade and I follows suit, but went to the main room to contact Jacen, since he had went to Sector 8 with Nightblaze to try and find out how Jacen and Nightblaze were fairing.

**Jacen's POV**

Blaze and I had been at Sector 8 for an hour and I still had no clue on what the riddle meant. After Luke and Shade had left, I had decoded another set of what I presumed to be coordinates, but what I got was a riddle. Luke was always the one that could solve riddles, me on the other hand, I'd be lucky if I even understood it. Blaze's holoform entered my office and sat down next to me. "How's it going?" he asked.

"It isn't." I said grumpily.

"Well, for starters lets go over the riddle one more time."

I sighed and recited the riddle, "The longest snake on a rocky world, calls my berth and relic home, the bed I'm with but never sleep, as bluish tears I do weep."

"That's only the first part." Blaze pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah I know." I grumbled.

"So lets hear the second part." a familiar voice said behind Blaze and me.

"Luke?" I questioned as I turned around, and sure enough there was my twin, but he had a black cane that he was leaning on.

"Who else?" Luke asked.

"How did you get here? And what's with the cane?"

The smile my brother had when I had turned around faded and he looked grim. "Shade and I were attacked getting the relic, I was shot." he said.

"You were shot! Where?" I demanded.

"In the stomach, don't ask me how I healed in ten minutes, but I did."

"Do the Autobots know you're here?"

"Only Blaze." Luke said nodding towards Blaze.

"How did you get here?" Blaze asked.

Luke shrugged and I noticed a new piece of jewelry on his prosthetic hand. "Where did you get that?" I asked pointing to it.

"Oh this?" Luke said, "It's the relic that Shade and I retrieved."

"The Ring of the Primes!" Blaze exclaimed in shock.

"I guess that's what everyone is calling it, so yeah." Luke said.

"Alright, so did that take you here?" I asked.

Luke nodded and said, "It made me this cane, it made my a sword, it most likely healed me, and I wanted to help you and poof, here I am."

I shook my head in disbelief and looked at Luke in amazement. "So you want to hear the second part to the riddle? I don't even know what the answer to the first part is!" I said.

"Well, the first part is easy, it's a river." Luke said, "Most likely the Nile."

My jaw dropped, "How did you figure that out?" I asked.

"Simple, a bed that there's never sleep, a river bed. A river is constantly moving, it slithers on Earth like a snake, although with bluish tears, that part eludes me." Luke explained. He looked at me and said, "So lets hear the second part to the riddle."

"Alright it goes," I said, "On the West from civilization past, my grave and tomb under a rock vast, the shadow of a silent guardian goes astray, look to the Three Kings or forever lay."

"Well, forever lay most likely means death…" Luke mused. "Civilization past, the river's the Nile…"

"So the relic's in Egypt?" I asked.

"Yes, but there were many cities built along the East side of the Nile river." Luke said with a slight nod. He sat down on a chair and looked down at the ground lost in thought. "Three Kings…" Luke looked up at me and Blaze with a smile on his face.

"What?" we asked.

"It's in one of the Great Pyramids of Giza."

"You can't be serious!" I groaned.

"Silent guardian, that's the Sphinx, the Three Kings, the three Great Pyramids!"

"What about the vast rock?" Blaze asked.

"The Pyramids and the Sphinx are both made of a lot of stone, limestone I think. There's a bunch of stone there, that's what I'm guessing the riddle means by vast." Luke explained.

"How can you figure these things out?" Blaze asked.

"By simply looking for clues within the puzzle." Luke replied with a slight smile.

"So, now that we have a place to start looking, how will we know when we've found it?" I asked.

"Trust me," Luke said tapping the Ring on his finger, "you'll know."

"But how?"

"Optimus hinted that the next relic is for you, I don't know what that means for you, but you'll need to face it with Blaze." Luke said.

"You're not going to come with?" Blaze asked.

"No," Luke said shaking his head, "it's not my place to be there. I need to rest."

I nodded in understanding and called the base. Ratchet picked up and asked, "Need a ground bridge back?"

"Yeah, we do." I answered.

"Alright, it'll be there in a minute. Do you know where Luke is?"

"Yeah, he's here with me and Blaze." I said.

"How did he get there?" Ratchet asked in surprise.

"I got here with the Ring of the Primes." Luke answered.

"How is that possible?"

"I wanted to help Jacen and the next thing I knew I was in his office at Sector 8."

"Alright, the ground bridge will be there shortly." Ratchet said.

"Got it." I said.

A ground bridge appeared and Luke walked through first, followed by Blaze's holoform, then I came last. The three of us arrived in the main room and all the Autobots, Fowler, Jack, Miko, Raf, and Ben were there waiting for us. "Where did you figure out the next relic is located?" Bulkhead asked.

I looked over to Luke and gave him a nod. Luke shook his head and pointed at me to explain. I sighed and looked up at everyone gathered around and said, "Luke unraveled the riddle, the next relic is in Egypt."

"Egypt! Sweet!" Miko exclaimed excitedly.

Luke's head snapped to where Miko was standing and his eyes narrowed. "This isn't some game Miko!" he growled. Miko's excited look fell to one of shame and Luke limped out of the room supported by his cane.

"Who pissed in his cornflakes?" Miko asked grumpily.

"He was almost killed today Miko!" Ben snarled. I was surprised, Ben had never had a temper. "He was almost killed getting a relic, he's sacrificed his life for a cause not of his own, yet you still have the gumption to ask who had pissed in his cornflakes!"

Miko flinched heading the venom in Ben's voice and looked down ar her feet and wouldn't meet Ben's seething gaze.

I walked over to Ben and placed my hand on his right shoulder. "Let it go Ben." I said.

Ben shrugged my hand off and stalked away. I sighed and watched my younger brother head to the elevator. I glanced at Miko quickly and she wouldn't look at me either. I shook my head and walked off the platform where the humans were and walked to the tunnel. "Where are you going?" Blaze asked.

"For a jog." I replied and then sprinted out of the base.

**Luke's POV**

I was in my room for an hour before I was bothered. "What do you want?" I shouted.

"We have a situation." Shade's voice responded.

I stood up off my bed and answered the door. The Autobots were standing there and I asked, "What's situation?" I asked.

"Jacen's missing."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter XXIV

Captive Audiance

**Luke's POV**

"What do you mean he's missing!" I roared, "Aren't you supposed to be guarding us?"

"He left after you blew up on Miko." Shadow said.

"I did not blow up on her." I said, "I wanted to, but I didn't. I just told her that this wasn't a game." I was pacing around the main room now.

"Think the Cons have him?" Ben asked.

I stopped and shook my head, "No, if Megatron had Jacen, he'd have sent me a message or an ultimatum by now."

"Megatron can't still be obsessing with you, can he?" Ben asked.

I turned and looked at Ben answered, "I believe that his obsession runs deeper than I've originally told everyone of you."

"What do you mean?" Optimus asked.

"During the entire Unicron thing, Unicron told me that I was one of the three Earthen warriors favored by Primus. I'm guessing Megatron figured it out, or most likely it was Soundwave."

"That would explain a lot of things if you are favored by Primus." Optimus said thoughtfully.

"What I don't understand is why Primus chose me. He must've done it for a reason, but for what reason exactly?"

"Back up," Arcee said. She looked down at me to where I was standing and continued, "you said that you were _one _of the Earthen warriors favored by Primus, who are the other two?"

I shook my head and clamped my mouth shut. "You know who they are, don't you?" Shade asked me.

I looked away and wouldn't meet any of the Autobots' gaze. "All I can say is that I'm not going to say who they are in case one of you are captured and Megatron used a psychic patch to get information out of you, I can't take that chance." I said.

"That is wise." Optimus said.

"Back to the important thing, where my twin is located." I said trying to get everyone thinking on that subject again.

"Well, he couldn't have just disappeared." Ben said.

"When was the last time we had contact with MECH?" I asked.

"Not since they stole Bumblebee's T-Cog." Ratchet said.

"MECH probably doesn't have him either." Ben said.

I turned and looked at my younger sibling and raised an eyebrow, "And what led you to that conclusion?" I asked.

Ben's face flushed and then he answered, "Because, MECH would've sent out a ransom demand."

I smiled at Ben and nodded my approval at his logic. "Same conclusion that I came to." I said.

Ben looked surprised, "Then why ask?" he asked.

"To see if I wasn't the only one that had reached that conclusion." I said. I looked down at the floor and opened and closed my prosthetic hand. "Knowing Jacen, he's deliberately run off."

"Why would he do that?" Arcee asked.

I turned my attention to the azure Bot and answered, "He went to go get the relic."

**Jacen's POV**

I felt rather selfish for what I had just done, but I felt like I didn't have a choice in the matter. Luke had probably been alerted to my absence and had most definitely reached the correct assumption that I had went after the relic, alone. I had taken flying lessons from Sector 8 just as Luke had. I had passed the test and I was currently flying my F-22 making my way out of US airspace.

After I had ran out of the base, I had gotten into a Sector 8 van that had been waiting for me. When Blaze, Luke, and I were getting ready to leave Sector 8 earlier in the day, I had sent a brief text message to a friend of mine that I would be ready for pick up outside of Jasper in half an hour. Sure enough, the van had been there waiting, just like I had asked.

I don't know why I felt so compelled to go after this relic alone, but it felt right. I flew for roughly five hours going the top speed before I finally arrived in Egypt. Sector 8 operatives guided me to a safe landing zone and I landed. I got out of the cockpit and was startled when someone behind me asked, "You didn't think that you could just run off on me like that, did you?"

I whipped around and saw Blaze's holoform leaning against my F-22 with his arms crossed.

"How did you find me?" I asked, recovering from my shock.

"He didn't." another familiar voice said. Luke came out of the shadows and I wondered what he was doing here. "I did."

"Alright, how did you find me?" I asked my twin.

"I hacked into Sector 8's mainframe to see where you were going." Luke replied.

"I didn't hear a ground bridge, so how did you get here?"

"I followed you in my own F-22, and Blaze arrived here about three minutes ago when I informed him of your landing place."

"How did you follow me, I didn't pick up anything on my scanners?" I asked puzzled.

I noticed for the first time that Luke was wearing his combat suit. "My new jewelry helped me out, it created a cloaking device." he answered.

"Why did you follow me?"

"To give you this." Luke said as he threw a box at me.

I caught the box and opened it. Inside the box was a Glock 17 and two clips. I looked up from the box at Luke and he smiled. "You followed me just to give me a gun?" I asked.

"No, I followed you just in case I needed to bail your butt out of trouble." Luke answered with a twinkle in his eyes.

I looked over to Blaze and asked, "Why are you here?"

"To save your aft if you ever need it." Blaze replied.

Luke smiled and turned to leave. I walked over to him and clasped his right shoulder. He turned around and gave me a questioning look. "You're just leaving?"

Luke nodded. "I came here to give you the gun you forgot, and now I need to go somewhere."

"Where?"

"Hopefully a place I can get answers." Luke said grimly.

"I wish you good luck." I said sincerely.

"Ditto." Luke said.

Luke climbed into a cockpit of a black Raptor that I had now just noticed, and I saw that it was getting refueled. Another two minutes passed and Luke was given the all clear to fly. Luke debt a wave toward me and then started down the runway. Without looking at Blaze's holoform, I asked, "When are we going to start looking for the relic?"

I heard an engine rev and turned around. My mouth fell open when I saw a black bodied Camaro with yellow racing stripes along the hood, top, and trunk. Blaze's holoform was nowhere to be found and the Camaro's driverside door opened and Blaze asked, "Are you going to stand there gawking at me all day, or are we going to fetch that relic?"

"You changed your alt form!" was the only thing I could think to say. I walked over to Blaze and got in. The door shut and Blaze drove us out of the landing area.

"Yeah I liked the Viper form, but this caught my attention. It's more inconspicuous." Blaze said with a chuckle.

We drove for half an hour before we reached the Nile river and crossed a bridge leading towards Giza. Blaze carefully maneuvered through a crowd of people and behind everyone. Blaze then sped off into the desert and we waited for night to fall, which was another twenty minutes.

After the twenty minutes passed, I got out of Blaze and he transformed. We approached the Pyramids and the Sphinx cautiously. Blaze produced a type of device that he told me would help us locate the relic. "Luke said that the relic is most likely located in one of the three Pyramids." I said.

"Yes, but what about the Sphinx?" Blaze asked.

"I'm not sure, in Egyptian mythology the Sphinx is one of the guardians of the dead. The riddle said that the relic was in the Nile, yet Luke thinks it's located in one of the Pyramids."

"Maybe there are two relics." Blaze speculated.

"It wouldn't make sense to hide two relics in the same area." I countered.

"I'm not getting any readings from the Pyramids, or the Sphinx."

"So it must be in the Nile."

Blaze transformed and I quickly got in. Blaze drove off and it took us ten minutes to reach the Western bank of the Nile. I got out of Blaze and he transformed again. "Getting any readings?" I asked looking up at him.

"Yeah according to the scanner, the relic is beneath us." Blaze salid.

"That doesn't make sense." I complained. An idea struck me and I stripped off my pilot suit. I was standing on the bank of the Nile in black shorts and a black sleeveless tee. I took the sleeveless tee of, my shoes and socks off, and then jumped into the Nile. I let out the air I had in my lungs enabling me to sink a bit. I kept my eyes open and saw that underneath the river bank where Blaze was standing, was a cave. I swam back to the surface and gasped for some air.

"Did you see anything?" Blaze asked.

I nodded and said, "There's a cave underneath us."

Blaze didn't look too enthusiastic about getting wet, but he jumped in next to me and I was almost thrown out of the water by the waves Blaze created. I took a deep breath and went back under and swam to the cave entrance. Blaze had to kneel down and crawl after me into the cave. We got inside the cave and it was enormous, Blaze could even stand up straight. We walked down the smooth marble corridor until we reached a stand that had a glowing blue light around it. Blaze and I approached it and he tried to move an object I couldn't see, but it didn't budge. Blaze looked at me and said, "Why don't you give it a try."

I complied and walked in front of the stand and stuck my hands into the blue light. I felt an object enclose around my right wrist and I pulled my arm back in surprise. I inspected my wrist and saw a black wristband with a blue gem in the middle. I looked up at Blaze and asked, "What is this?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Blaze said as we inspected the relic on my wrist.

I started to shiver as the water from the river started to dry. "I don't suppose that you have my clothes?" I asked Blaze hopefully.

Blaze opened his chest and pulled out my shirt and gun, then handed them to me. I thanked him and put the shirt on. I lifted my head and tilted it to my right as I heard sounds of feet hitting the floor. I turned around and held the Glock in front of me with two hands and clicked the safety off. Three black, man sized, robots came charging into the small room. They resembled metallic skeletons. Swords grew out of their wrists and I cursed, these were what had attacked Luke. I fired a shot and one of the robots went down. The other two charged forward and were obliterated by a shot from Blaze's cannons. "Get behind me." Blaze growled. When I didn't move fast enough Blaze barked, "NOW!"

I winced and stood behind Blaze's gigantic frame and waited. Nothing came out of the hallway and Blaze contacted Ratchet. Blaze then looked down at me and said, "Ground bridge will be here in about twenty seconds."

I nodded and after the twenty seconds went by, the ground bridge appeared. Blaze bent down and picked me up, then went through the ground bridge.

**Ben's POV**

"I'm so bored!" Miko complained.

I groaned, it had been five hours since Luke had went after Jacen and then headed on his own quest and that was the twentieth time Miko had complained. I myself was bored, but I didn't want to complain about it. I stood up and stretched. "Where do you think Luke is?" I asked Jack.

"I don't have any idea, why?" Jack responded.

"Curious." I said with a shrug.

"I bet he's out there waisting some Cons!" Miko said making punching motions with her fists.

I raised and eyebrow out of amusement and didn't say a word. I looked over at Raf who was just sitting on the ground typing away on his laptop. I walked over to Raf and sat down next to him. "What's going on?" he asked me.

"Nothing, I just wanted to see how you were doin." I answered.

"I'm doing alright." Raf said with a slight shrug. He looked at me and smiled, "Bee and I are planing to go racing later, you wanna join?"

"Street racing?" I asked in shock.

Raf chuckled, then answered, "No, nothing like that. We're racing remote controlled cars."

"Aww, I see. I forgot that you're really into racing."

"Just cars and computers."

"Well, remote controlled has something to do with computers, right?"

"A tiny bit, you see a microchip is inserted into…" I stopped Raf by raising my hand.

"I don't think that I need to get the full details. I'm not smart enough to comprehend any of that. Luke and Jacen maybe, me on the other hand, no way on God's green earth."

"I think I understand feeling shrouded by older siblings shadows, I have older siblings myself." Raf said.

"And I'm sure that you're one of the brightest, you're certainly the brightest kid I know."

"You're smarter than your brothers in some areas, aren't you?" Raf asked me.

I shook my head, "No, everything that I've learned, I've learned it from them."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way to get out of their shadow, I found my way out in the form of hacking and racing."

"Maybe you could teach me how to hack?"

"That's a possibility."

"Ratchet, we need a ground bridge." Blaze's voice said from the computer.

I stood up and looked at the ground bridge earnestly. The ground bridge opened and Blaze entered carrying Jacen. My heart almost stopped because I was having déjà vu. But unlike the first time, Jacen was completely unharmed, while Luke had been clinging to life. "Did you get the relic?" I asked.

"Yeah." Jacen replied as Blaze set him down across from Ratchet. He looked at the medic and said, "Although, I have no idea what it is."

Jacen extended his right arm and I saw a black wristband with a blue gem in the middle, fixed onto his arm. Ratchet leaned forward and inspected the wristband. Ratchet returned to standing up straight and went back to typing on the keyboard for the computer. "The relic that you have, Jacen," Ratchet said, "is called the Bracer of Kaon."

"Why does the name Kaon sound familiar?" I asked.

"Because, Megatron was a gladiator in Kaon before he created the Decepticons." Shadow said.

All of a sudden a realization struck me. I looked over at my guardian and friend and saw some familiar facial structures that she shared with a certain Cybertronian. I didn't want to say anything, but I was snapped out of my thinking when Ratchet said, "With the Bracer of Kaon and the Ring of the Primes found, the other relics need to be decoded, and fast."

As everyone in the room nodded, I made my way down the stairs and headed into the corridor. I walked into the training room and sat down on a bench. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy that Luke and Jacen had gotten some important relics, that they were figures of importance in Sector 8, that they were so gifted in almost everything that they did. It just didn't seem fair. "Ben?" Shadow asked me.

I looked up from the floor and saw Shadow standing in the doorway. "Hey, Shadow." I greeted. My suspicions from earlier came back into my mind.

"What's eating at you, kid?" my guardian asked.

"Remember when we first met, when I asked you about your family and how you didn't want to talk about them?"

"I do, I don't see where you're going with this though."

"I think I figured out who your brother is." I said. Shadow stiffened and I swallowed before I continued, "It's Starscream, isn't it?"

**Authors Note:**

**I'd just like to thank Guest: Princess of Dreams and catspajamas12 for reviewing. **

**Please R&R **


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter XXV

Revelation

**Ben's POV**

I held my breath in waiting for an answer as Shadow relaxed her tense shoulders. She looked down at me and asked, "How did you figure that out, kid?"

"You have the similar facial features as Starscream has." I said.

"Well, you're only half right." Shadow said as she crossed the room and sat down on a Cybertronian sized bench next to me. "Starscream and I are only half siblings."

"Half siblings?"

Shadow nodded and then looked at me closely. "Have you ever wondered why Starscream hates Megatron so much?" she asked me.

"Actually, I haven't. I don't know much about him except that he's now a rouge, was the Cons second in command, his alt form's an F-16, that's about it."

"So the generics?" Shadow asked, I nodded, "Starscream hates Megatron because he killed his sire, what you would call a father. Megatron took Starscream's mother as a concubine, and I was the result."

My jaw fell and I took a closer look at Shadow once again. I could now see some features that were similar to Megatron's, the way the eyebrows twitched when they were upset, the way that the eyes were set on their face. "Do any of the other Bots know?" I asked.

"Yes, they do." Shadow looked away from me and continued, "Megatron wasn't always the cold blooded killer he is today, he was once a caring father figure, he was once kind. I don't know where he started getting his political ideas from or when, but he soon became corrupted. He founded the Decepticons and started to become this legendary hero, this figure of prosperity from starting out from nothing to becoming one of the richest Cybertronians during the Golden Age, then the War started."

"What happened then?" I asked curiously.

"I was only what would be considered the Cybertronian equivalent to a human teenager when Megatron brought back home a Decepticon follower named Dreadwing. The two of them had a neutral family brought into our home, which was the fortress of Kaon, and demanded to know where Zeta Prime was." Shadow's voice faded away at the last sentence. She closed her eyes and I could see the pain etched onto her face. "The family said they didn't know, that they were just neutrals trying to stay out of the war. Megatron became furious and killed the youngest one, a sparkling." Shadow choked back tears as she must've been recalling the horrible day. "The creators cried out and wept, Megatron didn't seem to care. He demanded to know the location of Zeta Prime, the family once again said that they didn't know, and Megatrob killed the other two younglings. He demanded to know for a third time, the creators once again said that they didn't know, so Megatron killed them as well."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you." I said feeling ashamed.

"Don't be." Shadow said looking down at me. "I left a day after the incident, and found Optimus Prime. He asked me where I came from, so I told him. I told him everything I knew. I asked to be made an Autobot, and I think that had surprised him. When he asked why, I answered that I couldn't stand the atrocities committed by whom I called my father. He took me to the very core of Cybertron and had me take an oath before Primus, an oath said in front of Primus cannot be rescinded. The only way out of such an oath is death."

"So it's a very serious thing?" I asked.

"Very." Shadow said with a nod. "I never thought that you had met Starscream."

"I haven't, I've only seen pictures of him whenever the Autobots have contacted him or vice versa." I said.

Shadow raised an eyebrow and said, "You're smarter than you're given credit for."

I laughed, "Well, we can't all be given credit for something."

Shadow laughed as well and our laughter rang throughout the training room. When our laughter finally subsided, Shadow looked down at me and I said, "There shouldn't be anymore secrets between us, we should both be able to come forward and tell the other something, deal?"

"Deal, partner." Shadow said with a smile.

**Luke's POV**

I landed my new F-22 on a Sector 8 controlled runway in a remote area of Nepal. I shut the engines down and opened my cockpit. I removed the helmet Ratchet had made for me and climbed out of the cockpit. I was on the ground looking around me when I was approached by a woman wearing a parka with the Sector 8 insignia, an eagle holding the American flag in one claw and an 8 in the other, on the front.

"You must be Captain Porter, I am Amanda Cummings." the woman said.

"Nice to meet you." I replied as we shook hands. I looked around once more and asked, "I take it that you're the one in charge of this division?"

"You are correct. I need to ask you a security code before I let you inside." Amanda said.

"Go ahead."

"Diamond, how do you respond?"

"One, five, eight, six, four."

Amanda nodded and said, "You're clear, follow me."

I followed Amanda inside a building made of stone, but it was a modern building. I followed her to an office where we both sat down. Her behind a desk, me in front. "Why are you here?" she asked me bluntly.

"I need answers to some things and I was told that there's a monastery inside the Himilayas that can answer my questions." I replied.

"Who gave you that information?"

"Ummm…well more like I found the information." I said sheepishly.

"So in other words, you hacked into the mainframe." Amanda said frowning.

I chuckled nervously and said, "I wouldn't call it that."

"Then, what would you call it?" Amanda said raising an eyebrow.

"Research."

Amanda sighed and looked down at her desk. "You're 'research' was correct, there is a monastery in the mountains, but I think that it's just what it sounds like, a monastery." she said tiredly.

"I need to try." I said.

"A lot of people have come back…"

"I've read the reports, I'm willing to take that chance." I interrupted, "Just tell me where it is."

Amanda looked up from her desk in surprise and said, "You've read the reports about what has happened up there, yet you still want to go? You're either brave or foolish."

"A little bit of both I think." I replied.

"To get to the monastery you need to head due north for twenty miles, to the Nepal, Tibet, China border and get to Mount Everest. Once you get there, you need to turn west and travel for another twenty miles. You'll find a pathway that isn't traveled on much, you must go up the path and once you've reached the top, if you've reached the top that is, you head back east until you come upon a stone building that has stone walls thirty feet high surrounding it. The monastery is a building four stories higher than the walk itself, approach the gate and lay down all weapons that are on your person, and maybe you'll be let in." Amanda said.

"Thank you." I said sincerely as I stood up. I turned around and opened the door, but a thought stopped me. I turned back around and asked, "Do you by any chance have a snowmobile that I can borrow?"

I was flying at a good 100 mph on a black and white snowmobile. I didn't know what kind it was, nor did I really care. After five minutes of cruising at breakneck speeds, I turned west like Amanda had instructed me to do. _Another twenty miles. _I thought to myself. In another five minutes, I stopped the snowmobile and shut the engine off. I dismounted the snowmobile and removed my helmet. Ratchet must've thought about everything when he made my combat suit and helmet. The combat suit was somehow climate controlled and kept my body at the perfect temperature wherever I went on the globe! My helmet could supply my oxygen if I needed it, allowed me to communicate, and now it was a climate controlled thing too! Sometimes you just don't have to question why something works, especially when that something is the thing keeping you alive. I looked for the pathway and finally saw it. It was really hard to spot because it was hidden by some mountain shrubbery, and covered in snow. I walked over to the path and put my helmet back on. I looked up the summit and said outloud to myself, "Here goes nothing."

The climb up the path must've been the most physically exhausting things I've ever done in my life. I don't even think that I was halfway up the path when the sun went down and I had to set up camp. I shrugged off a backpack and unlaced the tent from the top of the pack. I pitched the tent and then went inside of it. I used lightning to melt all of the snow that was inside my tent, evaporate it, and start a fire. I sat down next to the fire, removed my helmet, and put a can of Cambells tomato soup over the fire to cook.

Once the soup was done cooking, I let it cool of for a little while before I ate it. While the soup was cooling, I kept thinking about home before I became this mutant human, this Warrior of Primus. I had been so much happier being normal, I didn't have to kill anyone, break up anyone's family, or fight. I just had to attend school, do homework, and enjoy life. I closed my eyes and sighed sadly. The only thing I hated right now was the fact that being alone like this had given me too much time to think. After a couple of minutes, I "ate" the soup, it was more like drinking it I didn't have any crackers, and once that was finished I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

I woke up most likely before dawn and took down the tent. I put my helmet back on and rolled up the tent, laced it back on top of my pack, and put the pack back on my back. I looked back up the path and grimaced, this was going to be another exhausting day.

Five hours passed before I finally reached the top of the path. I wanted to yell out in triumph, but I kept my composure and turned east. Rejuvenated, I jogged along the path for another hour and a half before I saw this enormous stone structure. My eyes widened in amazement at how large the monastery was. I removed my pack, set it on the ground, and then set about removing my weapons. I unhooked my sword from my left hip, took the holster and my Glock off of my belt, and took the knife out of my right combat boot. I set them all down on top of my pack and approached the gate before me.

The gate itself was fifteen feet high and twenty feet wide. What really caught my eyes though was the fact that the gate had the Autobots insignia on it surrounded by a gigantic yin-yang symbol. I stopped a foot away from the gate and hoped that it would open. The gate opened in the middle and I didn't think it was possible for my jaw to lower anymore than it had, but it did. I saw a paradise, there wasn't any snow on the ground at all, it felt like the spring back home in Cali. A man wearing an orange robe came info view. He had a white mustache that came all the way down to his neck, white eyebrows, and hazel eyes.

"Welcome Lukas Porter, we've been expecting you." the man said in a silky voice laden with kindness. His voice told you a story, a story of struggles and triumphs, a story of hopes and dreams. "Please, come in with me."

"What…what about my things?" I asked like a child.

The old man chuckled and replied, "They will be brought in but for now, you must rest."

"Thank you." I said as I removed my helmet. The old man was five foot, seven inches at the most, five foot, five inches as least. "How did you know I was coming?"

"It has been foretold in the stars." the old man replied cryptically.

"May I know your name?"

"All you need to know is that I am Sensei Tai."

"Alright." I said. There wasn't a need to push for information if the guy didn't wanna talk. I was led into a massive dining hall and my stomach growled in hunger.

Sensei Tai looked at me hard and said, "How rude of me. Here is a guest that is hungry and I have not fed you. What a terrible host I am."

"Oh, look I'm sorry but I didn't mean to insult or do anything like that…" I tried apologizing.

Sensei Tai just laughed extremely hard and slapped me on the back. I stumbled forward, what seemed to be a frail old man was a strong bull! "Do not worry, you did not insult." he said laughing even harder when I gave him a confused look.

"What's the insignia on the gate's face?" I asked.

Sensei Tai stopped and I stopped with him. He looked at me and narrowed his eyes. "Why ask a question that you already know the answer to?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I tried to deflect the question.

"That's a load of yak dung, and we both know it." Sensei Tai said with amusement, "I understand wanting to try and protect family, but we try not to keep secrets here."

"How do you know about the Autobots?" I asked.

"Before I answer that, we must eat. I will reveal all you wish to know later."

"Alright I understand, but I'll hold you to that."

Sensei Tai led me through the dining hall and into a room where there was a table with food already placed on it. There were only two chairs and Sensei Tai sat down on the seat closest to the door. I walked around the table and sat across from him. "Go ahead and eat, young one."

I shook my head and politely said, "You first, I may be the guest in somebody else's home, but this is your home, not mine."

Sensei Tai smiled at me and nodded towards me. "Thank you, my young friend." he said.

I waited patiently as Sensei Tai filled his plate with noodles, vegetables, roasted duck, and rice. After Sensei Tai was finished he indicated that it was my turn to dish. I filled my plate with the same things that Sensei Tai had. I waited after I had done that because I didn't know if there was some type of prayer or anything that was supposed to follow. Sensei Tai picked up a pair of chopsticks and began to eat, and I follows his lead. A couple of minutes passed before Sensei Tai set his chopsticks down and looked at me. "How did you get the scar on your face?" he asked, "It was the same incident that took your right arm below the humerus, wasn't it?"

My eyes widened in surprise. "How…how did you know I had a prosthetic?" I stammered.

Sensei Tai gave me a small smile and replied, "I have been around for my fair share of years."

"I was taken captive by the Decepticons." I said answering his question.

Sensei Tai nodded and went back to eating. I wondered what had brought that question for it seemed it had come from the blue. We finished eating and Sensei Tai leaned back in his chair and gave a contented sigh. He then looked at me and said, "Tell me young one, how did you meet the Autobots?"

"Well, it was back near the beginning of the school year, must've been maybe early October or late September, my father had been killed by an organization called MECH." I paused recalling the depressing day. "A week or so after his funeral, I went out for a motorcycle ride in the desert. I had been having terrible headaches and when I pulled over to the side of the road to take in the view, I was hit with one of these bad headaches. When I recovered I was on my hands and knees and sweaty. I got back up and mounted my motorcycle, restarted it, and started to head back towards Jasper, the city I lived in. A red Aston Martin had zoomed passed me followed by a black and yellow muscle car. A few moments later I noticed that I was getting tailed by two black cars with purple tinted windows. I thought nothing of it, until I was airborne. They must've shot at me or something. I got back up and looked behind me and saw two Autobots and two Decepticons fighting, so I decided to get the heck out of there. The following Monday, I was followed home from school by the two Autobots I had seen on the previous Saturday and I made a break for it from my house. They followed me and I was cornered in an alley. There was only one Autobot there with me. He asked me to come with him and I refused. The Autobots left me alone after that."

"Ahh." Sensei Tai said folding his hands in his lap. "What about the headaches?"

"They're gone now, they had just stopped suddenly on that Monday morning."

"Alright, how did you come to live with the Autobots?" My jaw dropped, and Sensei Tai smiled again.

"How do you know these things about me?" I asked looking the old man up and down.

"Remember what I had said earlier, all you need to know about me is that I am Sensei Tai." the old man said.

"That isn't going to keep cutting it." I said in frustration, "I came here to get answers yet I keep getting riddles and an old man who can't tell me a straight answer!"

"Now don't get testy." Sensei Tai said.

"Sensei is Japanese anyway!" I interjected. A thought hit me and I looked closer at the old man. "You're not human!" I gasped.

Sensei Tai leaned forwards and there was a twinkle in his eyes. "How did you come to that conclusion?" he asked.

"When you ate your food, your Adam's apple never bobbed, whenever you swallowed, it never moved. The food you ate must've been holographic, just like I'm guessing you are." I answered.

"Very observant." Sensei Tai praised with an approving nod.

"So, what exactly are you?" I asked.

"You haven't figured that our yet?" Sensei Tai asked raising an eyebrow. I shook my head and he sighed. "I am an Autobot who's body had died yet my holoform lives on."

"How is that possible, and then just how old are you?"

"I don't know how it's possible, most likely because Primus kept me alive long enough to find the eldest that he had chosen. Many have tried to obtain the information you seek, mainly Decepticon allied humans, they went insane."

"Yeah, I read that."

"So the most serious questions I'll ask you, are you sure you want the power of the answers that you seek? Are you sure you want the responsibility and the burden of what has happened?"

"Yes, I am certain." I said firmly.

"Then I will tell you. As for my real name, it's Tracks."

**Jacen's POV**

_Back at the Base a day prior_

"What do you mean he's gone off alone!?" my mother roared angrily.

Everyone in the room cringed, when my mother was pissed, she was downright scary. "Mrs. Porter…" Optimus tried.

"I don't care Prime!" my mother barked, "He's my son, I don't care if he's what you'd call a Prime back on Cybertron, he's only eighteen!"

"Mom, Luke isn't the only one…" I tried to back up Optimus.

My mother whirled around and faced me. "Don't even try to start with me young man." she warned.

I raised both of my hands in front of me in defeat and took a step back. "Luke can take care of himself though." I said.

"Yeah, what if the Cons come for him? What then? How will he 'take care of himself' when it's a Con?" my mom asked.

"Touché." I grumbled.

"But no one will bother to tell me where exactly my son is?" Everyone took a keen interest in their feet and my mother shook her head. "In his combat suit, didn't you place a tracking device into it?"

"Actually, we did." Ratchet said.

"Use it to find him and bring him back home!"

"Working on it Mrs. Porter." Ratchet said.

After a few minutes Ratchet looked up from the keyboard and looked at my mother with anxiety. "Well, what did you find?" my mom asked putting her hands on her hips.

"According to the beacon, Luke's standing next to Ben." Ratchet said.

"What?" Ben asked in surprise. He turned around in a circle, but everyone could see as plain as day, no one was around him.

"Is it possible that Luke found the device and took it out?" I asked.

"It's highly unlikely, he doesn't have the means to take it out and then sow the hole he made in it back together!" Ratchet said skeptically, "Why even ask?"

"Because," I said walking next to Ben, next to him was a side table and I knelt down and opened its drawer and pulled out a paper thin device that was three inches by three inches, "I'm thinking this is the device."

_Present Day_

I was sitting in my room thinking about all of the possible places my twin could've gone. There were a lot of em. Luke had somehow done what Ratchet had said was impossible, so what else could Luke do? I shook my head and gave up trying to think about it. Luke would show up when he wanted to show up. There wasn't a darned thing that I, or anybody else, could do to change that. I hoped that he had his phone with. An idea struck me, I reached into my pocket and pulled my iPhone out, and called Luke. The phone rang for a while before it went to voicemail, that meant that his phone was on at least. If it was on, it could be tracked.

I got up off my bed, opened my bedroom door, and rushed to the main room. I got there and Optimus was sending teams to look for other relics. Agent Fowler and Raf stayed behind with Ratchet. I walked up to Ratchet and said, "I think I have a way we can track Luke."

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Fowler asked.

"Do you know where he is?" I asked.

"No one knows where he is!" Fowler said.

"Then how isn't finding him on top of Sector 8's agenda!?" I demanded.

"He is, I'm here on unofficial buisness." Fowler said.

**Luke's POV**

"Tracks?" I asked in disbelief.

Tracks smiled and his eyes changed from hazel to electric blue. "I'm willing to bet that you know my offspring?" he asked.

"Arcee, Bumblebee, Shade, and Blaze?" I asked.

"That'd be them." Tracks said with a smile.

I leaned back in my chair, stunned. Here was my best friends father! "How did you come to be on Earth?" I asked after a couple of minutes.

Tracks' smile faded and he looked off distantly, then answered, "I came to this planet looking for a relic called the Star Saber to try and bring it back to Optimus Prime, but my shuttle crash landed and I was stuck in stasis for Primus knows how long, when I finally came to, I met another Autobot here, at this very spot. His name was Jetfire. He died a little while back, and I was never able to find the location of the Star Saber. My other reason for being here was to await someone named Lukas Porter on this planet, Primus gave me a lot of knowledge and he said that one day you'd come looking for this knowledge."

"Are there certain questions that I need to ask to gain access to this knowledge?" I asked.

Tracks smiled and said, "Just ask away."

"Why me and my brothers?"

"Primus chose the three of you because you all had the potential to be great. This is your second shot at life, that was part of the agreement. Didn't Primus ever come to you in your dreams?"

"I…I'm not sure." I said uncertainly. I closed my eyes and in my mind I was in an entire blue space and a Cybertronian that looked older than Optimus appeared. I opened my eyes and then said with certainty, "Yes, he did visit me."

"Good, what will your next question be?"

"Why the Ring of the Primes? What makes me so special? Optimus had said that if I were Cybertronian, I'd have been a Prime, what does he mean?"

"The Ring chose you because you were destined to have it, destined in your second life. You're special because Primus marked you, it's not a mark you can see. One chosen by Primus is basically a Prime."

"Is the mark my abilities?"

"Hit the scraplet right on the head there."

"A what?"

"Scraplet, evil little fraggers. They eat anything that's metal, it doesn't differentiate between living or non living."

"Sounds gruesome." I muttered.

"Very." Tracks said agreeing with me.

"So what happened in my first life?" I asked.

"That, I cannot tell you, for it has already been revealed to you." Tracks said.

"When?"

"Must've been in a message from Primus."

I nodded. "Where are my things?"

The door opened and a man dressed similar to Tracks walked in holding my things. "Go ahead, he's harmless." Tracks told the man. I then noticed that the man who was holding my things was shaking pretty bad. The man set my things in front of Tracks, bowed towards me, and then rushed out of the room. Tracks picked up my sword and I straightened in my seat. Tracks hit the activation switch and the blade sprang forth. Tracks raised his eyebrow and stood up from his chair. "What an odd thing." Tracks muttered.

I sat there and swallowed. I started to picture a sword coming into my hand and I felt a familiar, comfortable, weight in my hand. I gave a quick glance and saw that I was holding another hilt almost identical to the one Tracks held. "What's odd about it?" I asked.

Tracks looked at me and replied, "The fact that a human weapon has similarities with Cybertronian weapons."

"The retractable blade?" I asked, to which Tracks nodded. Then to my surprise, Tracks swung the sword at me. Without hesitation, the blade from the newly created sword sprung forth and blocked the stroke.

"Very interesting." Tracks said as he disengaged and stepped away. I got out of my chair and took a defensive stance.

"I don't want to fight you." I said.

"Then what's with the sword?"

"To protect myself in case you attacked me with my sword." I defended myself.

Tracks stepped forward and attacked with an overhead slash, I leaned back to avoid the swing and jumped sideways so that my body was parallel with the floor. I landed in a crouch and retook my defensive stance. Tracks stepped forward and came at me with a series of blows. I leaned, dodged, and deflected them, but did not counterattack. Tracks kept coming at me until I finally blasted his holoform away from my yelling, "ENOUGH!"

Tracks' holoform flew across the room and slammed into the wall. He slid against the wall and his head rolled on his shoulder. I let the sword in my hand fall out of it, and it disappeared. I knelt in front of Tracks and he was smiling. I helped him up and he handed me my sword back. I deactivated it and asked, "Why?"

"To see how far I could push you before you finally reacted." Tracks said, "I'm impressed, it took quite a lot."

"Yeah, I don't have that great of control." I said.

"Quite the contrary, it took you twenty minutes in heat of a battle before you finally attacked." Tracks said.

"That was twenty minutes?" I asked, I hadn't been aware that the time had gone that quickly.

Tracks nodded and looked at me, then asked, "Do you have any other questions?"

"None that I can think of at the moment." I replied.

"Then we can begin your training." Tracks said happily.

"Whoa, my what?"

"Your training." Tracks said raising an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"To be able to become a human Prime."

**Ben's POV**

I was pacing in the training room when my mom entered and approached me. I looked at her in surprise and she asked, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing really, just pacing." I answered. "Why?"

"Because, I didn't want you to be alone when I tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"Sit down with me, Ben." my mom said sadly.

Together we walked to the human bench and sat down. "I found a note in Luke's room, it was addressed to you." my mom said as she handed me an envelope.

I looked down at it and then back at my mom. "Should I open it?" I asked. My mom nodded, so I opened the letter and saw Luke's classic cursive writing. This is what it read:

_Dear Ben,_

_If you're reading this letter, it means I'm either dead or I think that I'll be gone for a long time and don't know when I'll come back. I bet you're pretty bummed that you don't get an awesome relic but I'm telling you, you don't need one. In many ways you must think that you're in mine and Jacen's shadows, I can't say that I know how you feel, but what I can say is that you're your own person. Do what you want in life, don't let yourself get hung up over the fact that you're different than me and Jacen. In a lot of ways, you're lucky. You are able to learn from our mistakes, we had to forge our own path, but you we are able to help avoid the mistakes we made. If you think yourself inferior to me and Jacen, don't. You're better at sports than the two of us, don't deny it. You have the raw talent needed for sports, you have the athleticism. Jacen and I, we just worked hard to get that, you didn't have to. You're a better boxer than I could ever hope to be, you're quick on your feet, and agile. Wherever you go, may the wind be at your back and the sun shining in your path. I do not know when we'll see each other again, or if we ever will, but remember that I'll always support you and love you. You are my little brother after all._

_Love,_

_Luke_

I felt a tear roll down my face as I finished the letter. I looked over at my mom and asked, "Did you know about this letter?"

My mom nodded and replied, "Luke told me about a letter that he wanted me to give you if he ever disappeared for a long period of time and no one was able to contact him or find him. He told me this two days before he disappeared. I just know in my heart that he's safe."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just know."

My mom and I embraced and seperated. "I need to go to work, my shift starts in half an hour." my mom said as she looked at her watch.

"How are you going to get to work?" I asked.

"Shade'll take me, he's not busy."

I sat alone for another ten minutes after my mom had left, with a sigh I stood up and stretched. I headed to the main room where I saw a sight that made my heart skip a beat…

"Bulkhead!" I whispered as I saw the green Autobot laying motionless and unresponsive on the ground.

**Authors Note:**

**Thank you to zrexheartz and Guest: Princess of Dreams for reviewing.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter XXVI

The Human Constituent

**Luke's POV**

I stared at Tracks in disbelief, I had just wanted answers. I got my answers and wanted to leave, now I was going to be stuck here! "There has to be a mistake, I need to go. My family needs me." I protested.

"What's more important, the fate of this planet or your family?" Tracks asked, "Answer truthfully."

I was stunned, how could he expect me to chose between the world or my family? It was inconceivable! I clenched both of my hands and made them into fists, then unclenched them. I desperately wanted to say my family, but I knew that was a lie. I looked at Tracks with loathing and growled, "The fate of this planet is more important." I hated myself for saying those words.

"What are you willing to do?"

"For you or for my family?" I spat.

Tracks sighed and shook his head sadly, "Don't shoot the messenger." he said, "I'm asking what are you willing to do to protect others?"

"Anything." I answered without hesitation.

"If you had to choose between saving Jacen or Ben, who would you choose?"

"How dare you ask that!" I roared. "I would never choose one over the other! I'd rather die than let that happen!"

"If you had to save your family or let them die to save everyone on this planet, what would you choose?"

I ground my teeth in frustration and felt immense self-loathing towards myself, "I…" I stopped and looked up from the ground to look at Tracks, "I would save the planet."

"These are not easy questions, and there are no easy answers." Tracks said.

"No, there isn't." I said in a defeated voice. I looked down at the ground and slowed my breathing to try and calm myself down, I was still shaking with anger from the questions. I looked back to Tracks after a couple of moments and asked, "What would you have me do?"

**Jacen's POV**

I was looking at Miko's face with pity. I understood how she felt, I had seen the same thing with Luke. I was glad that Ratchet was trying to stabilize the big guy, but I was worried that Miko would do something rash. I glanced over at Shade who had just come back from dropping my mom off at work, he looked angry. I walked over to him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Besides the fact that my mentor is laying in the med bay, nothing." Shade replied angrily.

"Do you know where Luke is?" I asked.

"What makes you think that I know where he is?"

"Because, Luke tells you everything." I answered.

"What I do know, I won't share it. The only thing that I'll share is that Luke doesn't expect to come back."

"I think I've got that part down." I muttered. Agent Fowler left and I turned my attention back to the proceedings.

"Wheeljack's on his way," Arcee said. I turned around and looked back towards the main portion of the room.

Miko looked furious."I can't believe you're giving up on Bulkhead already!" she spat.

"All I meant was Wheeljack and Bulkhead are close," Arcee tried to clarify, "I thought he'd want to be here."

"I know what you meant," Miko growled before turning and heading for the elevator.

"Miko, where are you going?" Optimus asked.

"Home, while Agent Fowler can still give me a lift." she snapped before stepping inside the elevator and letting the doors close.

I winced and looked at the gathered Autobots in surprise. "Well, I can honestly say that I didn't expect Miko to ever erupt like that." I said.

Arcee started to follow Miko but Optimus held her back. "She needs time." he said.

"Bulkhead is stable for the moment." Ratchet said, "But I had to induce stasis."

The sound of a car speeding into base filled the room and Wheeljack came speeding in. He transformed and approached Ratchet asking, "What's the damage, doc?"

"Bulkhead suffered major trauma to his central neural conduits." Ratchet answered.

"I've watched you work, you're a maestro." Wheeljack said.

"The ToxEn exposure has caused system wide shut down on a submicronic level." Ratchet explained. He turned to face Wheeljack and continued, "I can't even begin operating until Bulkhead regains some strength."

Wheeljack frowned and looked at Optimus. "You going to tell me who did this to him?" he asked the Prime.

"At the moment I believe that it is best to focus our attention on Bulkhead's recovery, rather than revenge." Optimus said.

Wheeljack looked away from Optimus to where Bulkhead lay, and then back at Optimus, "You do that." he said then transformed and sped out of the base.

Ratchet approached Optimus and said, "Wheeljack will most likely do something rash, you know."

"And I am not sure that we could stop him, even if we wanted to." Optimus said glumly.

I watched the proceedings with a careful eye, I knew who had sucker punched Bulkhead, but I had a feeling Miko would tell Wheeljack. I didn't express my feeling, I felt that Miko had the right to go with Wheeljack. I turned away and started to walk away when Optimus stopped me by asking, "Jacen, where are you going?"

I stopped and turned around. I looked up at the Prime and replied, "Some place that I can think." Then I turned back around and walked to the training room.

I got into the training room and walked over to where my practice sword hung on the wall. I picked it up and swung it a few times. I took a balanced stance and began to flow through different forms. My problems seemed to disappear as I concentrated on what I was doing. I flowed through one form after another, adding some offensive moves into the mix and some defensive moves as well. I did this for about five minutes before I heard the door open. I turned around and Blaze and Shade walked in. "Oh, hey guys." I greeted them. I set my practice sword back onto the rack that it belonged on and then turned my attention to the two twins. "What can I do for you?"

"You can sit down and listen." Blaze said.

"Umm, ok." I said confused. I walked over to the bench and sat down on it. "Why am I sitting down?"

"So you can pay attention without any distractions." Shade said.

"Alright, but what is this all about?"

"Blaze convinced me to tell you what I know about Luke's whereabouts." Shade said grumpily looking at Blaze.

I sat up straighter and asked, "Well, where is he?"

"Luke told me that he was going to follow a lead in Nepal. That's all I know about it." Shade said.

"So, Luke's in Nepal?" I asked.

"It's possible that he has moved on." Blaze said.

"Then why haven't we heard from him in two days?" I asked.

"He left all communication devices at the base." Shade said sheepishly.

"What!" I exclaimed, "Has he lost his mind?"

"He didn't want to be tracked." Shade said.

"Do you know when he'll be back?" I asked.

"No." Shade answered shaking his head.

**Luke's POV**

I was in the middle of doing a handstand when Tracks came out to the sunroom I had been assigned. "What can I help you with?" I asked through ragged breaths.

"How long have you been holding the handstand?" Tracks asked.

"Since you told me to." I gasped. My arms were shaking and I was dripping sweat all over.

"That was five hours ago." Tracks said with a smile, "How long are you going for?"

"Until my arms collapse or you tell me to stop." I grunted.

"You can stop."

With a sigh of relief, I leaned my body forward and as I was falling to the floor, I curled into a ball and rolled up onto my feet once I hit the floor. I was drenched in sweat and my arms ached like they've never ached before. "What's next?" I asked tiredly.

Tracks raised an eyebrow and looked at my exhausted body, "Why do you want to continue?" he asked.

"Because the sooner we finish," I gasped, "the sooner I get home."

"Do push-ups until I get back." Tracks said.

I nodded and went right to the floor and started doing push-ups. Tracks left the room and I stated focused on what I was doing. My thoughts eventually drifted off back to thoughts on home, how was my family? How were the Autobots? Questions like that wizzed inside my head. Tracks came back and I continued doing push-ups. "What's your count?" he asked.

"I. Have. No. Idea." I said between breaths as I pushed up and then lowered myself down.

"You can stop."

I stopped and slowly walked myself up from the push-up position to standing. "How long were you gone?" I asked.

"Half an hour."

"What's next, sir?" I asked.

"Rest, you need rest and you need to refuel." Tracks said.

I nodded and sat down right on my bed, exhausted. I looked ar Tracks and asked, "Is there a place I can shower?"

"Just follow me." Tracks said gesturing.

I got up off my bed and walked over to where my clothes had been stored. I chose a black shirt, jeans, and new pairs of socks and underwear. After I had grabbed my clothes, I followed Tracks out of the room. We reached a corridor where there was a huge brass door. Tracks unlocked it and I couldn't help but groan when I saw what was behind the door…stairs. "Come on, Luke." Tracks said with a big smile, "It's only going to be a few hundred feet."

I looked over at Tracks unamused, "I hate you right now." I said.

Tracks laughed and we went up the flight of stairs. We reached another hallway and walked to the end of the hallway, where yet again there was another brass door. Tracks opened the door and I was happy to see that it was indeed in fact a bathroom. Tracks led me inside the bathroom and actually to the end. Whenever monks saw me, they'd bow or gesture at me. I didn't really care for the attention, but was glad that the last bath stall was a room by itself. "Here is your bath, you are our honored guest, so the nicest things are at your desposal." Tracks said.

"Thank you." I said grateful for the opportunity to get all of the sweat off my body. Tracks nodded and exited the room, closing the door behind him. I walked forward taking my shirt off as I went and set it on the floor. I looked around for the bath, but I heard a voice behind me say, "Can I help you, sir?"

I turned around and saw a woman standing behind me dressed in a white gown. The woman was in her early twenties or late teens, she had brown hair, green eyes, and she was about four inches shorter than me. "Umm, I was led in here by Sensei Tai, he said I could bathe here. Was he mistaken?" I asked.

The woman chuckled and removed something from her face and dropped it. I saw that it was a mask she dropped and I looked up from the mask to her face. She was Caucasian, that I could tell. "No, Sensei Tai is never mistaken." she said. She looked me up and down and I'm pretty sure I was blushing. I was only in shorts and shoes. "You're well built."

"Thanks." I said accepting the complement, "Who are you?"

"My name is Jenna, I know everything about you Mr. Porter." she replied.

"That's not creepy at all, is it?"

Jenna merely shrugged and continued her scrutiny of me. "Many things that we perceive are half of an equation." she said. Jenna looked up at my face for the first time and her eyes widened, "What happened to your face?" she asked.

"Funny, most people would've asked about the prosthetic arm first." I remarked. Jenna looked puzzled and I looked down at my right arm and was surprised that the prosthetic was covered with what looked like skin.

"What prosthetic?" Jenna asked.

"Kidding." I said turning around. "It was nice meeting you." I started to walk to a subsection of the room to another door. "Ubi vadis? Fatum evitare non possis." _Where are you going? You can't escape your Fate. _I heard inside my head. I straightened in surprise and turned around once again. I looked at Jenna and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Everything." Jenna answered sadly. "You have no idea what will happen to you if you continue on this path!"

"What are you talking about? It's not like I have a lot of other options. Plus, why would you care what happens to me?"

"When the Final Four have been found, no one is safe and sound. A Primes mistake will bring doom, the Dead Planet will once more be dark and full of gloom. The Human Constituent will be the key, to success or failure. The One will die, but another shall rise." Jenna said then walked away.

I was left standing in the room frowning. What did she just say? I shook my head and went into the other room and finished disrobing. I got into a natural warm spring, and it felt great on my sore body. I lay in the warm water contemplating what Jenna had last said. "The Dead Planet…" I mused, "I wonder what she meant."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter XXVII

End of a Beginning

**Luke's POV**

I don't know how long I was in the bath, but it must've been long enough for someone to come looking for me. I was still puzzling over what Jenna had told me when there was a knock at the door. I was pulled out of my thinking and turned my head to look at the door. "Come on in." I called.

The door opened and Tracks walked in. He looked at me with a look of amusement and said, "You've been there for a while."

"How long?" I asked.

"You've been in here for over two hours." Tracks replied.

I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. "Sorry, I've just been thinking."

"What about?"

"Things an acolyte said to me."

"Who?"

"She said her name was Jenna."

"What did she tell you?"

I opened my eyes and moved my head so that I was looking at Tracks, "She said that finding the final four would bring about the end of a world that's already dead."

"I see." Tracks said holding his chin in his right hand thoughtfully. He looked at me and asked, "Do you have any idea what she means?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't think that I do. I mean, how can a dead planet be doomed if it's already dead?"

Tracks didn't answer the question and I had a feeling that he knew what it was. "You're going to miss dinner." was all he said before he walked out of the room.

**No ones POV**

Tracks walked out of the entire bathing area and went right to where the female acolytes were housed. He found the room he was looking for and knocked. Jenna opened the door and looked puzzled, "Can I help you Sensei?" she asked.

"You can." Tracks said coldly, "What did you tell Luke?"

Jenna closed her mouth and wouldn't meet Tracks' gaze. "What are you talking about, sir?" she asked.

"You know very well what I'm talking about. You gave him a prophecy mentioned by the Ancients!" Tracks said narrowing his eyes.

"I'm sorry sir, but he had to here it." Jenna said now looking Tracks in the eyes.

"What makes you say that?"

"I had a dream that if I were to ever meet a Human Prime, I was to give them that prophecy."

"It might not pertain to him!"

"We don't know that. Be glad it was just that prophecy."

**Luke's POV**

I was sitting on my bed in my room waiting for Tracks to come get me for dinner. I was still pondering the possible meanings of whatever that Jenna had said. "The human constituent…" I murmured, "key to success or failure."

There was a knock at my door and I was once again pulled out of my thoughts, "Come in." I said.

The door opened and Jenna walked in wearing a black gown now. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but Sensei Tai has asked me to bring you to dinner." she said.

"What did you give me?" I asked her standing up, I grabbed my sword and attached it to my belt.

"What do you mean?" Jenna asked.

I walked over to her and looked down at her face. "What did you give me in the bathing area?"

"I gave you nothing." Jenna said as we walked out of my room.

"Then what did you tell me?"

"You know what I told you."

"You're impossible."

"Sensei Tai has forbidden me to tell you."

"That wouldn't surprise me, but you are at a temple of the Primes on the planet Earth, what connects you to Cybertron?"

"You don't know the history of this place?" Jenna asked in genuine surprise.

"How would I? I've only been here for not even a day yet."

"It all started when the Chinese discovered a Cybertronian in the year 100 BCE, they built this temple in honor of the metal giants." Jenna explained. "The monks trained in order to protect the Cybertronians from the rest of mankind."

"I don't think that Cybertronians need to be protected by humans." I said.

Jenna shook her head but continued on, "I agree with you it's just that the monks that found the Cybertronian became devoted to make sure that the rest of mankind never found out about them. For awhile the only ones who knew for certain that there was alien life were the monks."

"You didn't answer my original question, how do you fit into all of this?"

"I was found at the steps of the monastery here and Sensei Tai took me in." Jenna said.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, most of the monks and people living here are born in the monastery."

"I didn't think that monks could have kids." I said confused.

"These monks can." Jenna said laughing. She stopped and then looked at me and asked, "How old are you?"

The question took me by surprise, no one really asked me that, although it was mainly because I kept to myself. "I'm eighteen." I answered.

"Seriously?" Jenna asked me in surprise.

I nodded, I then looked at her and asked, "How old did you expect me to be?"

"From all Sensei Tai has said about you and your accomplishments, I thought you were in your twenties." Jenna said.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"I'm seventeen."

"Ahhh." I said nodding.

We arrived at the mess hall and the two of us walked in. Jenna led me to the room where I had first dined with Tracks a day ago now. Tracks was already there and this time there was an extra seat set up. I sat down across from Tracks once again and Jenna sat down next to Tracks. "Welcome to dinner once again, Mr. Porter." Tracks said.

"Thank you, Sensei." I said.

"I'm glad you could join us tonight, Jenna."

"Thank you for the invitation, Sensei." Jenna said. I narrowed my eyes just enough so that it wasn't noticeable, I thought I had detected a faint trace of sarcasm behind those words.

The dinner was brought in and once more I let my hosts dish their meals first, then I took my share. I looked up from my food and at Tracks. "When do I leave?" I asked.

Tracks finished "chewing" his food that was in his mouth then looked at me and asked, "Why do you want to leave?"

"I told you that earlier, I would like to see my family. You've been doing nothing but putting me through exercises, I can do those at home." I said pointedly.

Jenna watched the proceedings with interest, but stayed silent and continued eating. Tracks looked at me annoyed and said, "And I thought I had told you that there weren't going to be any easy answers."

"You did, but what have I exactly learned here?"

"Self discipline."

"I doubt that, I've had that ever since I was five when I started taking martial art classes." I snorted.

"You still need to learn the wisdom of the Primes." Tracks said.

I shook my head, "I have no need for it. I'm not a Cybertronian, I'm not technically what you'd call a Prime. By sciences point of view, I'm a mutation."

"Sir, if I may." Jenna spoke up.

Tracks looked at her in shock but nodded and said, "Go ahead Jenna."

"It seems to me since Luke has the Ring of the Primes, couldn't that give him the knowledge and wisdom of the Primes if he wanted it?" Jenna asked.

"Thank you." I said nodding appreciatively at her. I looked back at Tracks, "What are you worried about then if I leave?"

"I'm worried that a prophecy will come true." Tracks said.

"Oh come on!" I said not believing what I had just heard. "Prophecies? I can say the world is going to end, and I'll be right. What harm could I possible do? I'm only a human!"

"The Eldest Prime shall come to pain, the Conquerors will have everything to gain. The Earth shall fall into shadow, the one that will bring the greatest fear. After the Four there will be the One, the power of a Predator can not be undone." Tracks said wearily.

"I'm not the oldest Prime." I pointed out, "Nowhere in your mumbo jumbo does it mention me or a human, just a Prime."

"You don't know if it isn't talking about you though, do you?" Tracks asked.

"Like Luke had already said, Sir," Jenna interjected, "he's not the oldest Prime."

"It sounds like I'm not the only voice of reason here!" I said.

"Fine, if you want to leave, leave." Tracks said.

"I'll leave in two days." I said looking at Tracks.

"Alright."

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. After we had all finished eating, a relatively young monk came in and looked at me in awe, then took the dishes and left. I wondered what made me such an object for curiosity and respect. "Jenna, could you take Mr. Porter to a new room? It'll be room 66." Tracks said.

"Yes, of course." Jenna said.

I stood up and bowed respectively to Tracks, then exited the room. Jenna followed me and I was a bit annoyed. I had seen where the room Tracks had been talking about, and I knew where it was. I walked through the mess hall, weaving through the crowd to lose Jenna. I finally exited the mess hall entirely and I walked right to a window across from the hall. I looked out the window and saw that the mess hall was overlooking a valley. The valley looked so tranquil that I wanted to stare at it forever. It was about a fifty-foot drop from the window to the ground, not survivable for a normal human. Then again, I wasn't a normal human. I backed up a little bit, and then broke into a run. I jumped out of the window and righted my body in the air so that my feet were pointing at the ground. I shot lightning out of my left hand and created a plate of some sort for my feet. I directed the lightning up towards the tower where I knew the window to Room 66 was located.

I stopped the lightning when I was at the windowsill and I had less than a second to grab a hold of it. I grabbed the edge and pulled myself up onto it. I pulled myself into the room and let out a sigh of relief when I looked back down at what I had just achieved. I stiffened when I heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. I grabbed my sword and turned around. A man dressed in all black was standing there holding a katana with a black hilt. I couldn't tell you what the mans face looked like, because it was hidden by a cowl. I pressed the button on my sword hilt and the blade extended, "What is this, some sort of test?" I asked. The man in black nodded and took a ready stance. "I was afraid you were going to do that." I said as I too took a fighting stance.

**Jacen's POV**

It was roughly four thirty in the morning when I woke up for no apparent reason. Today marked the third day that Luke disappeared without a trace. I got out of bed and stretched. I pulled on some jeans and a red shirt and grabbed a helmet and leather jacket as I walked out of my room. It had been a while since I had just gone for a ride, alone without anyone watching me. I found where Luke's Buell was and rolled it towards the tunnel. I walked up to the human area and grabbed my holster that could attach to my leg. I attached it to my leg and put my Glock 17 into it. I looked around to make sure that I wasn't being observed. When I saw that I wasn't, I went back to the Buell and rolled it out of the base. With a satisfied sigh, I started the Buell and rode down road. I went into Jasper and stopped at a McDonalds for something drink. I shut the engine off and dismounted. I took my helmet off and entered the fast food restaurant.

The waitress' eyes widened when she saw my gun, but I pulled out my Sector 8 badge and she relaxed. "What can I help you with?" she asked.

"I'd just like a coffee please." I said.

"That'll be one dollar and fifteen cents."

I paid the money and waited for my coffee. A cop walked in and ordered a coffee as well. We nodded at each other and I took my coffee and sat down. I waited for the coffee to cool down a little bit before I took a sip. The cop came and sat across from me. He was wearing sunglasses, which I though was odd, since the sun had yet to rise. "Can I help you officer?" I asked.

"A missing persons report had been filed and you fit the description of the man that was described." the officer said in a semi deep voice. I could've sworn that I heard a bit of an electrical sound to it as well.

I narrowed my eyes, just enough where it wasn't noticeable and replied to the cops statement, "Sorry, but I'm not a missing person. I just went for a ride and I have a job."

The officer nodded and said, "Just had to check, can't let any possible leads go unnoticed."

"I understand that." I said nodding. I still didn't trust the cop, something was off here. I set my coffee down and said, "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom." I stood up and spilt my coffee. "Oh my, I'm so sorry." I said as it went on the officers lap the form flickered for millisecond, and I realized what this was.

"It's alright, it's not the first time this has happened." the pseudo cop tried to assure me.

I walked to the restroom and sent a text message to Nightblaze. "He's gonna kill me!" I muttered to myself.

I winced at the text Blaze sent back; he was definitely going to kill me. I exited the bathroom and went back to the table, the cop was still there and I silently cursed. "I need to go home, I'm really sorry that I spilled my coffee on you." I said.

"It's alright, Mr. Porter." the cop said. The cop's eyebrows went up and I inwardly smiled.

"Good day." I said with a nod.

I left the fast food joint and walked to Luke's motorcycle. I put the helmet on and mounted the Buell. I started it, and then backed it up. I left the parking lot and went back towards the highway. After about a minute of riding, I saw a cop car following me. "You have got to be joking!" I said with a groan.

I found a random exit on the highway and sure enough, I was followed. Guiding Luke's bike under the overpass I pulled to the side of the road and shut the engine off. I put the kickstand up and dismounted. I really wanted Blaze to get here, and quick. I wasn't sure if I could take on a Decepticon alone. My suspicions were proved true when the cop car transformed into a Decepticon that was Bumblebee's height.

"Hello, maggot." it sneered.

"Sup, Decepticreep?" I answered. Blaze had said if I ever found myself in this situation, alone, that I should aim for the eyes to blind the Con and then see if I could kill it by shooting or damaging the spark. Like an old Western cowboy, I unslung the gun and quickly shot the eyes. The Decepticon roared in pain, and I aimed at the middle of the chest and emptied the clip. The bullets all deflected off the armor and I wished that I had something stronger!

I heard the sound of transforming Cybertronians behind me and I turned around and saw two more Cons. "Are you alright Barricade?" one of them asked.

"No, I'm not. The little maggot shot my eyes!" Barricade snarled.

There was a gurgling sound and I turned my attention to the Con that was on my left, it held its chest and then a blade came through it. Energon leaked onto the ground and I really wished that I could help. My right arm felt heavier and I looked down in shock. I was holding an RPG! "Sweet!" I said excitedly. I turned around and aimed at Barricade's chest and fired, the projectile flew from the weapon and made contact. Barricade fell to his knees with Energon leaking out of him, and then collapsed. I turned back around and saw Blaze standing there cleaning one of his swords. "Where's the other Con?" I asked.

"He fled." Blaze said nonchalantly. He looked down at me and continued in an angry voice, "You on the other hand, I thought you had more common sense than this!"

"Hey! How would you have liked to be followed everywhere, no privacy? How would you have liked to be constantly monitored, just because something might happen?" I shot back.

"You should have at least notified me that you were leaving I could've…"

"Followed me? Made sure I was safe?" I interrupted, "I just want some freedom!"

"We'll discuss this back at base, get back on the motorcycle and I'll follow you."

"There's nothing to discuss!" I said haughtily as I went back to the bike and started it up again.

**Luke's POV**

The man in black and I had been trading blows back and forth for half an hour now. I disengaged and did a little flourish at my side with the blade. I was panting pretty good and dripping sweat. My opponent on the other hand, was doing neither. I took a reverse grip on my sword and charged back at the man. He sliced at my right side up high and I raised my sword and caught the stroke. I turned on my right heel and elbowed him in the back of his head. I sliced at his abdomen and he leaned back to avoid it. I went with a jab and as he deflected my blade, quickly changed grips again so that it was a normal grip, and I got passed his guard and rested the tip of the sword on the middle of his collarbone where it met the base of the neck.

The man nodded in approval and then to my surprise, disappeared. I was left standing in Room 66 alone. In the back of my mind, I heard a deep voice, deeper than Prime's, say, "You have passed the test. You are now a full Warrior of Primus."

I collapsed onto the floor and lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness I was laying on a bed and I was aware that there was someone standing over me. "You ditched your guide and came up here alone."

"Tracks?" I groaned.

"I must admit, you came up here faster than I thought you would." Tracks said.

I sat up on the bed and looked at Tracks. "Was it you that I fought?" I asked.

"Yes, it was me." Tracks answered, "You're more skilled than I thought."

"Thanks, I didn't recognize your fighting style this time." I said.

"I changed it up, something that I noticed you did as well."

"Can't be too predictable can I?"

"No, you can't."

"How long have I been laying here?" I asked.

"Two hours."

I nodded and put my feet on the floor. "What would you like me to do?" I asked.

"Head out, you passed the test." Tracks said.

"Alright, where are all my things?"

"Waiting for you at the entrance of the monastery."

"Thanks, is my combat suit in here?"

"It is, I don't want you to go back alone so I'm sending someone with you."

"Who?"

"Me." Jenna said as she walked into the room.

"There ya have it." Tracks said. He threw something at me; I reflexively caught it and saw that it was my combat suit. "Aren't you going to change?"

"Seriously! In here?" I asked in embarrassment.

"What's wrong with it?" Tracks said, obviously not understanding what was wrong with it.

"It's a bit awkward when the opposite gender is in the room with you." I said trying to hint at it. I glanced quickly at Jenna and she was blushing.

"It isn't on Cybertron."

"This isn't Cybertron!" I almost screamed, but I said it in a controlled voice.

"Well, you better change quickly before it gets any darker out." Tracks said as he stood up and headed for the door. "Make sure he doesn't go anywhere, Jenna."

"Yes sir." Jenna said blushing.

I groaned and stood up off my bed. "You would mind turning around, would you?" I asked Jenna.

"No, I'll turn around and you better let me know when you're done!" Jenna said as she turned around.

With an inward sigh of relief, I disrobed and put on a new pair of underwear and pulled the pants of the combat suit on quickly. "I have my pants on, you can turn around now." I informed Jenna. Jenna turned around and her face turned more of a red color than it had been before. She took a keen interest in a scar that I had on my torso from where the shrapnel had entered my body from when I lost my arm. I finished putting the combat suit on and then sat back down in the bed so that I could put on the boots. I picked up my sword and attached it to my belt and she frowned, I'm guessing she didn't know what it was.

"Ready?" Jenna asked me.

I nodded in response and followed her out of the room. She led me to a flight of stairs and we went down them. It was a winding staircase with an ebony railway. We finally reached the bottom and I saw that we were at the entrance to the monastery. Tracks was there with three other monks. Jenna and I approached the small group and we both bowed to Tracks. "Have a safe journey, and may Primus look after you." he said.

"Thank you Sensei." Jenna said.

Tracks smiled and said, "Be careful, my child for the world that you are entering is more complex than you could possibly be ready for."

"I will." Jenna promised.

"Luke, here are all of your things, we have added some supplies for the two of you."

"Thank you, sir." I said.

I picked up my pack and slung it over my shoulders. It was heavier than it had been before. Tracks handed me my Glock and the holster, which I promptly reattached to my belt, and my dagger. I put the dagger back in my right combat boot and Tracks smiled at Jenna and me. "Be safe, I will not see the two of you again." he said.

Jenna and I both nodded and then exited the asylum, the one place I had actually felt safe in after I had been kidnapped by the Cons. We walked in silence for roughly half an hour, me wearing all black and a helmet, Jenna wearing a mixture of white and blue, with a cowl to protect her face from the harsh climate. "Why did you want to accompany me?" I asked her.

"Because I'm interested in seeing the outside world." Jenna answered, "This was the perfect opportunity."

"So I'm just a means to an end?"

"No, that's not what I meant!"

I chuckled and shook my head smiling, but she couldn't see my smile. "I'm kidding, lighten up."

"Oh." Jenna said.

I looked up at the sky and saw that it was starting to get dark. "We should set up camp." I said.

"Why?"

"It's getting dark, and nights in the mountains aren't exactly an easy thing to walk through."

"Alright, then lets set up camp."

"We need a better spot first, if we camp here, we're too open to an attack."

"First you wanna camp, now you wanna continue?" Jenna asked exasperated. "Make up your mind!"

"It's just a bit further." I said trying to placate her.

"To where?!"

I winced and found a nice rock structure and I pointed there and said, "We'll set up there."

"Fine."

We set up camp and I pitched the tent while Jenna gathered some firewood from the sparse mountain shrubbery. I finished pitching the tent and removed my helmet as Jenna walked in with the wood. She removed her cowl and her face was flushed, I didn't know if it was from the cold or the circumstances that this was a small tent with limited room. "Put the wood in the middle." I said.

"Alright, we don't have anything to start the fire with though." Jenna said.

I smiled and said, "Just put the wood on the ground."

Jenna complied and I felt something in my right arm that I hadn't felt previously in it. It was a sensation that I had only felt in my left arm. I shot a bolt of black lightning and the wood caught fire. Jenna's face took an expression of surprise, shock, and awe all in one expression. "How did you do that? Did the Ring enable you to do that?" Jenna asked.

I laughed and shook my head. "No, the Ring doesn't enable me to do this." I said still chuckling. "It's the mark that Primus has placed on me and my siblings."

"Oh, will I get to meet your siblings?"

"Possibly, my youngest brother doesn't know that he has the abilities that my twin and I have."

"Oh."

I was still smiling when I put a pot over the fire and poured some tomato soup into it. Jenna was looking on with a mixture of interest and a realization hit me. "You've never actually cooked, have you?" I asked.

Jenna's face flushed in embarrassment and she looked down at the ground and sighed. "No, I haven't." she said.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." I said feeling ashamed.

"It's alright, I'm sure I can do something that you can't." Jenna said.

I couldn't help but smile, "Like what?" I asked.

"Well, I know how to sew for one." Jenna said, her face becoming even redder.

"The only thing I know how to sew is stitches for a cut." I said. "You'll need to impress me."

"I can shoot an arrow three hundred yards and hit a man sized target in the chest."

"I have an assault rifle that can do the same."

"I can accurately get a kill shot with a sling and rock."

"I have a pistol for that."

"I bet I could beat you at swordplay."

My eyes glinted and I looked at Jenna and cocked my head to my right. "Really?" I asked.

"Really."

"Then let us see what you're made of." I said as I stood up and took my sword off my hip.

"We don't have any swords though." Jenna said.

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Don't we?"

"What do you mean?" Jenna asked perplexed.

I hit the activation button on the sword hilt and the blade came out. Jenna's eyes widened and I flipped the sword in midair and presented her with the hilt. "This is what I mean." I said gently.

Jenna cautiously took the hilt and examined the sword. She looked up from the blade and asked, "What about you?"

In an answer, the Ring of the Primes formed a sword in my left hand, a falchion with a curved cross guard. "What about me?" I asked playfully.

Jenna stood up and moved my blade in a flourish at her side. "Touché." Jenna said with a smile.

**Jacen's POV**

"That was extremely irresponsible of you, I'm disappointed in you." Optimus said in a fatherly tone.

"You wouldn't understand why I did it anyway." I muttered.

Optimus raised an eyebrow, or an optic ridge as I finally decided to learn. "No? Then can you elaborate?"

"You're never constantly followed, constantly watched! I would like to have some freedoms! I feel as if I'm kept in a cage, I can take care of myself Optimus, I took down a Con!" I said in a steeled voice laced with some plea in it.

"Yes you did, I'll give credit where credit is due, but you still took a risk based off of a rash decision." Optimus said trying to keep me calm.

"Then at least give me a chance to go out on my own, I at least stayed in radio contact!"

"I will consider it."

"That's all I ask." I said with a nod, "Can I go now?"

"You may."

I jumped off of Optimus' desk and landed on my feet. I walked out of the Prime's room and found my way back to the main room. "How did it go?" I heard.

I looked up and saw Ben leaning against the ground bridge. I sighed and shook my head, "It went alright. I'm not sure that Optimus would give me any leniency if I do this again." I said.

"When do you think Luke'll get back?" Ben asked as I walked by him and he fell into step next to me.

"I don't know, Ben." I said, "We've discussed this before."

"I know, but don't you have a link to him?" Ben asked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

"Well, between twins isn't there a bond between them?"

"Only in short distances, from what I'm guessing, Luke doesn't want to be found."

"Do you think he's safe?"

"I know that he's alive, but I can't make any other assumptions."

"How do you know he's alive?"

"I would've felt it if he was killed."

**Luke's POV**

Jenna and I sparred for ten minutes before I finally disarmed her. I could tell that she was holding back, and I'm pretty sure she knew I was holding back as well. The falchion disappeared and I sat back down across from the fire. "The soup's done." I said.

Jenna sat down across from me and looked at me with interest, "Where did you learn to make a Cybertronian type weapon?" she asked as she tossed my sword hilt back at me.

I caught it and reattached it to my combat suits belt. "Someone made it for me as a gift before I went off to war." I said distantly as I served the soup.

"Sensei Tai told me about the duel that occurred between you and one that served a terrorist group bent on finding Cybertronian technology." Jenna said.

"I used the very sword that you had just used to kill my opponent." I said closing my eyes remembering that day. I heard once again the clash of swords, the roaring of the two sides cheering for their champions, the smell of blood, and Keir's face as I decapitated him.

"Are you alright?" Jenna asked in concern.

"No, ever since the end of the duel, I've been plagued by memories of it." I said with a shudder as I opened my eyes.

"I'm sorry." Jenna said averting her eyes.

"Don't be." I said with a slight smile.

We ate out soup and as the rest of the sun disappeared below the horizon, I felt myself drifting off into sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw that Jenna wasn't in the tent. I looked around worried and rolled out of my sleeping bag. I went outside the tent and saw Jenna standing on the rock face looking at the sun rising over the mountains. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jenna asked.

"It is." I agreed as I walked over to her. "We should take down the camp."

"Yeah, we should." Jenna said distantly.

"Are you alright?" I asked in concern.

Jenna looked at me and I saw grief in her eyes. "I see this and feel like I haven't seen the world, which I haven't." she said, "Just being this far away from the monastery is an eye opener."

"I understand." I said, "When I first met the Autobots I felt the same way. I questioned everything that I had learned. The Autobots and Decepticons made me question my own beliefs."

"We shouldn't linger."

"No, we shouldn't." I turned around and headed to the tent. I took it down and rolled it up and attached it back to the top of my pack. I slung the pack onto my shoulders and picked up Jenna's. I walked back over to her and handed it to her.

"Thank you." Jenna said.

I nodded and turned back to the path and Jenna followed. Making the descent was easier than climbing up the path. We reached the bottom and I found that the snowmobile that I had borrowed was still there. I led Jenna to it and got on. I tried to start it but the engine died. On my second attempt, the engine fired up. "Get on behind me." I said loudly to Jenna so she could hear me over the purring engine.

Jenna complied and then said, "There's nothing to hang on to."

"Then hold on to me!" I said as I gunned the throttle and smirked as Jenna let out a squeal of surprise. I hit the throttle until the speedometer hit 100 mph. We traveled like that for five minutes until I stopped. I looked at a compass that was on the snowmobile's dashboard and saw that I was pointing east. I backed up a bit and then put it in drive. I eased the throttle so that I could maneuver the snowmobile to point it south. I looked back at Jenna and said, "Get ready, I'm going to gun it for another five minutes. We'll reach the base and then see if my jet is still there."

"Alright, just get it over with." Jenna said.

I was so glad that she couldn't see me smile. I once again hit the throttle to reach 100 mph for one last time. After five minutes of riding we reached the Sector 8 base. I slammed on the breaks and my heart was pounding. The entire place was up in flames. I shut the engine off and looked at behind me at Jenna. "Stay here!" I told her. I dismounted the snowmobile and unholstered my Glock. I ran down the little hill that I had parked the snowmobile on and hid behind a rock as I saw a Vehicon.

_I really wish that this thing was white right now! _I thought. There was no way that I could possibly take down a Con without something with more power than a Glock 17. I knew my sword was made from Cybertronian metal, which could cut through a Con, but how could I get high enough to kill the Con without getting noticed? The Con's back was to me and I reholstered the Glock. I grabbed my sword hilt and activated it. I stood up and drew my right arm back, then threw the sword. The sword spun through the air and sunk into the Con's back. Energon spilled out and the Con fell to its knees, then face planted. I walked out from behind the rock and cautiously approached the body of the Con. I climbed on top of the dead Con. I yanked my sword out and looked around. I ran towards the building and made my way through the burning building to Amanda's office. I kicked the door in and saw her laying on the floor holding her stomach. I knelt down next to her and she opened her eyes. "Luke?" she gasped.

I removed my helmet and said, "Yes, I'm here."

"Good, they came without warning. Their attack caught us unprepared." Amanda gasped.

"Come on, I'm going to get you out of here."

"It's too late for me…The building will collapse soon, I have maybe two minutes to live…"

I quickly put my helmet on and activated my com unit. "Ratchet, I need a ground bridge! ASAP!"

"Luke?" Ratchet's astonished voice answered.

"Yes, send a ground bridge to the coordinates that this is coming from, do it now!"

"Alright, it's on its way."

"Good, prepare the med bay while you're at it!"

"Will do."

The ground bridge opened and I picked up Amanda's body. I carried her bridal style and ran through the ground bridge. I ran her past the shocked Autobots and brought her to the med bay. I carefully set her down on the bed and Ratchet raised the bed to examine her. I left the room and saw Nightshade standing by the ground bridge. "I need you to open it again." I said.

"Why?" Nightshade asked.

"I forgot something, now open the damn bridge!"

Nightshade complied and I ran through the ground bridge and was once again inside Amanda's burning office. I picked up my sword from where it lay and jumped out of the window. I rolled onto my feet and deactivated my sword. I placed it back on the left hip of my belt and searched for Jenna. I saw tracks leading to the hill and they were fresh. I cursed and ran to where I had left Jenna. She was still sitting on the snowmobile and I was extremely confused. "Come on, we need to go." I said.

"Alright, lead on." Jenna said. "What's that behind you?"

I turned around and saw a human sized robot. I reached for my sword, but was tackled by the robot just as my hand unhooked it from my belt. I landed on the snow and my breath rushed out of my lungs. I threw the robot off of me and looked around for my sword. It had rolled out of my hand when I had hit the ground. I took a closer look at the robot that had attacked me and it resembled a human skeleton. I wondered if this was some sort of sick joke to the Decepticons. The robot charged me and I sidestepped. I threw a right jab at the robots head and it connected with a sickening crash. The robot staggered and I looked at my prosthetic in amazement, it hadn't been damaged from the swing. The robot turned around and charged at me once more and this time I threw all of the strength I could into a right-handed haymaker, and it connected with the robots head once more. What happened next made me kind of sick, because my hand had gone through the head. I pulled my arm away and the robot fell to the ground defeated. I looked a Jenna and she stared at me in amazement. "We need to go." I said.

Jenna nodded and picked up my sword hilt for me. She walked over and handed it to me and I nodded my thanks. I contacted Nightshade and asked for him to open a new ground bridge at the place that this transmission was coming from. A ground bridge opened in front of Jenna and me, and I led her through it. Nightshade looked at Jenna in surprise and Jenna looked at him in shock. "You didn't say that you were going to bring another human!" Nightshade exclaimed.

"Sorry, bud." I apologized, "But I hadn't known that she was going to accompany me either until two nights ago in the Himalayas."  
"Sensei Tai told me to accompany Mr. Porter." Jenna said trying to help out.

Nightshade burst into laughter and looked at me with amusement, "Mr. Porter?" he laughed.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?" I asked.

"Never!" Nightshade said still chuckling. His jolliness subsided and he knelt down in front of the two of us. "May I inquire as to who you are?"

"My name is Jenna, I have no last name. I was adopted by the monks of the monastery." Jenna said.

Nightshade looked at me and said, "I take it you found the monastery."

I nodded and Ratchet entered the area and groaned when he saw Jenna. "Another human?" he asked in disbelief.

"Sorry Ratchet, but Tracks told me to take her with." I said.

"Tracks?" Ratchet asked just as Nightshade asked, "My father?"

"Yeah, he said that he crash landed here on earth looking for a relic. I cannot recall the name of the relic at the moment, but he believed that it would change the outcome of the War while it was still on Cybertron." I said.

"So that's where my dad went." Nightshade said sadly.

"Yeah."

"Well, I take it the human next to you knows all about us then?" Ratchet asked.

I nodded, "The monks and nuns of the monastery were the first humans to discover that there was other sentient life out in the universe. They built the monastery on sacred ground and Tracks stayed there. They wanted to prevent the rest of mankind from finding out about you guys. Tracks said that he met another Autobot here as well, I think the name was Jetfire. Tracks said the Jetfire had died awhile ago."

"She's going to need a guardian." Optimus' voice resounded throughout the room.

I turned my body to the left and saw Optimus standing by the entrance that led to his quarters. I removed my helmet and the three Autobots in the room took a step back at my haggard appearance. "If you don't mind, I think that I'll head to my room and get some rest. I don't want jet leg to kick in." I said.

"No we do not mind." Optimus said.

"What about me?" asked Jenna.

"Ummmm." I said uncertainly.

"I'll explain what I can to our new young friend." Optimus said.

"Thank you." I said gratefully.

I headed out of the room and into the corridor that led to my quarters. I was just about to open the door when a flash of black hair with pink highlights tackled me. "Hey, Luke." Miko said excitedly, "What's goin on?"

"Not much." I groaned. I heard the sound of running footsteps and turned my head to the right to see Raf and Jack running towards us.

"Miko!" Raf exclaimed.

"What?" Miko asked.

"You didn't have to tackle the man!" Jack said.

"Hey cuz, how ya doin?" I asked Jack.

"I'm alright." Jack replied, "How are you?"

"Tired and hoping that I can get some sleep." I said pointedly looking at Miko as she got off of me.

"Sorry." Miko apologized.

"It's alright. I'll see the three of you around." I said as I entered my room.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?"

I turned my lights on and saw Jacen sitting on my bed looking pissed off. "Hey, Jace." I said uneasily.

"We have a lot to talk about." Jacen said looking me up and down. "You look like you haven't slept well in ages."  
"I feel that way. I haven't been able to sleep the past couple of nights." I confessed.

"Why?"

"Nightmares." I said.

"About what?"  
"Seeing everything and everyone that I care about murdered before my eyes. I'm starting to see Keir again."

"Want to talk about it later?"

"If we could."

"I'll talk with you about it tomorrow then, and I want full answers." Jacen said standing up.

"And I'll give them to you." I promised.

"I'm glad that you're back, Luke." Jacen said as he exited my room.

"So am I, Jace." I whispered, "So am I."

**Authors Note:**

**This has definitely been the longest chapter I have written yet! I'd like to thank Guest: Princess of Dreams and zrexheartz for reviewing. **


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter XXVIII

Calm Before the Storm

**Luke's POV**

I woke up from my nap and saw that it was dinnertime here. I groaned and got out of bed. I walked over to my dresser and took out a new pair of underwear, a clean shirt, and a clean pair of shorts. I exited my room and headed to the showers. "Luke!" I heard. I stopped and turned around and saw Ben running towards me. "Hey, Ben." I greeted.

Ben stopped running and slowed to a halt in front of me. "Where did you go?" he asked.

"I'm going to tell you, Jacen, mom, Shadow, and the twins when I'm done showering and freshened up." I answered.

Ben nodded and turned to walk away, but then looked over his shoulder and said, "It's good to have you back."

I smiled at my younger brother and he smiled back. Ben walked away and I turned back around and headed for the showers once again. I hated this jet lag thing!

**Jacen's POV**

Ben came out of the corridor leading to the showers and he looked puzzled. Shadow and I walked over to him and I asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Nothin really." Ben answered. He looked up at the human area and saw Jenna standing there talking with our mother. "Who's that?"

"I have a feeling Luke will explain her presence." I said.

Ben nodded. "How's the Sector 8 agent doing?" he asked.

I sighed and shook my head, "Not to good. Ratchet said that she will live, but she might not be able to walk again."

Ben gave a small nod that he understood the situation and Shadow transformed. I gave Ben a puzzled look and he said, "Mom needs groceries again and it's my turn to get them."

"Good luck." I said with a smile.

"Thanks." Ben said with his own smile. He got on Shadow and the two of them rode off.

I walked into the corridor and headed toward my room when I was met by Blaze. He was still angry about my morning ride from the other day. "Hey, Blaze." I said uneasily.

"Hey, have you seen Shade?" he asked.

"No, I actually haven't."

"Alright." Blaze said as he walked passed me.

I got inside my room and closed the door. I pulled out a notebook that Sector 8 had sent me with information for a mission that they needed me and Luke to go on. I wasn't sure that Luke wanted to go, but I'd have to ask him anyway. I flipped through the notebook and the more I read about our mission, the more impossible it seemed. With a sigh, I closed the notebook and flung it onto my desk. I put my head in my hands and shook my head. I sat like that for a little while, until my head was brought up by the sound of an electric guitar. "That isn't Miko." I said out loud to myself. I got up and ran out of my room and towards the room where the instruments were kept. Ben, Jenna, Miko, Raf, Jack, Aunt June, mom, and the Autobots joined me as I ran. Luke right now was playing the guitar intro to the song Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce. I had never heard Luke play such a complex song before, and he was playing it flawlessly. "Is that Luke?" Miko asked.

"Who else would it be?" Jack asked.

Luke finished the song, which is a seven minute song, and that's when all of us entered the room. He looked up at us and smiled, "Can't I get some peace for once?" he asked jokingly.

"Maybe you should turn that noise down." Ratchet said.

Luke burst into laughter and shook his head with an even larger smile on his face. "Sorry doc, no can do." he said trying to contain his laughter.

"Would you like dinner?" our mom asked.

"No thanks mom," Luke said, "I'm good. I need to get over this jet lag."

"Are you still up for the Battle of the Bands competition in two weeks?" Ben asked hopefully, "The deadline for sign ups is in three days."  
"Yeah, I'm still in." Luke said. He looked over at me and asked, "What about you, are you in?"

I thought about the mission that Sector 8 had sent for the two of us to do, but I didn't care at the moment, I smiled and said, "I'm still in."

"What is this Battle of the Bands?" Jenna asked.

"Only the most amazing thing ever, besides Monster Trucks!" Miko exclaimed in dismay, "How can you not know what a band is?"

Jenna's face reddened and Luke intervened, "Miko, Jenna's not from a place that has all of this." he said gesturing around at the guitars, amps, drum set, etc.

"Oh." Miko said looking abashed.

"Where did you come from, Jenna?" asked Raf.

"From far away, I came from the largest mountain range in the world. By some of the tallest peaks, was the place I called my home." Jenna replied with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"You're from the Himalayas?" Miko asked with a squeal of delight, "That is so AWESOME!"

"Is she always like this?" Jenna asked looking at Luke.

Luke nodded and said, "Unfortunately."

"Hey!" Miko interjected.

"Ut dicam eis de tuo domi?" Luke asked looking at Jenna.

"Sic." Jenna said with nod.

"What did the two of you just say?" Raf asked.

"I asked her if I could tell you about her home." Luke said looking at everyone once again, "And she consented."

Luke then went on to explain that the place that he had disappeared to for a while was a monastery that was devoted to Cybertron and Primus. He told us that the monks and nuns living there were dedicated to protect the knowledge that had been bestowed upon them from falling into the rest of mankind's hands. Nightshade, Optimus, and Ratchet stood there as if they had heard all of this before, which I'm positive that they have. We all stood there stunned, except for the obvious. There was still something that Luke wasn't telling us, but I couldn't tell what it was, or if I was just imagining it.

"So that's where you've been for all of this time?" our mom asked Luke.

Luke looked down at the ground and sighed. "I'm sorry mom, but there were things that I needed to find out. Things that the agency wouldn't tell me, so I had to go and figure them out on my own." he said as he looked back up and at our mother.

"As long as you don't go alone again, I'm fine with it." our mom said as she exited the room, "Just don't ever run off on my like that again without any notice!"

"I won't mom."

"Good."

"Well, that was a bit tense." Ben said.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at my younger brother. "No, really?" I asked him sarcastically.

**Ben's POV**

All of us filed out of the room leaving Luke to his own devices once again. I followed Jacen and the Autobots. Jack, Miko, Raf, and I gravitated towards the TV and video games, while Jacen, Jenna, and the Bots gravitated towards the main computer. Jacen was talking to Jenna and she was nodding. I wondered what was going on between the two of them but was pulled out of my thinking when Miko threw a controller at me. I caught it and she asked playfully, "Wanna race?"

"You know it!" I replied with a grin.

**Luke's POV**

After everyone had left, I twisted the Ring of the Primes on my finger and thought;_ Life would be so much easier if I were normal_.

"If you were normal, then I would not have chosen you or your siblings to be my champions of Earth." a deep voice said within my head.

I closed my eyes and opened them and saw that I was in an area surrounded in blue. "Primus." I said respectively.

"It is good to know that you finally know who I am." A figure emerged out of the blue and I recognized it from what I thought had been a hallucination. It was an older version of Optimus, and I'm one hundred percent sure that I had seen him before.

"Why the Ring?" I asked. _Damn that sounds like the Lord of the Rings_ I thought.

"I entrusted the Ring to you, Lukas Porter, because I know that you are destined for greatness. The world will one day need a hero, and you can fit into that role." Primus said.

"What was it that Jenna said to me in the bath house in the monastery?" I asked looking up at the Cybertronian god. "It sounded like a prophecy."

"That's because it was."

"Here we go." I said skeptically.

"I know about your lack of faith towards prophecies, Tracks informed me of it and I was watching when he explained the his Prophecy to you." Primus said sternly, "I told Jenna to give you that Prophecy because you needed to hear it. I needed you to start thinking about your role as a Human Prime."

"Maybe I don't want this, maybe I never wanted this." I said.

"Power given is usually never wanted. Most want to earn the power, but from you I get a different sense, you don't want to have power at all." Primus said.

"Not like this. I admit that they're cool, but I just want to be a normal teenage guy with normal teenage problems."

"But you're not a normal teenage guy with normal teenage problems." Primus said, "I have seen inside of your heart and soul, and I have found it to my liking. You are as good of a person as you can be. You stick up for those that need it, and you do not abuse the power that I have invested in you."

"I'm honored that you chose me to be one of your Warriors, honestly I am, but I just wish that it didn't come with so many sacrifices." I said with a sigh.

"That is understandable." Primus said with a nod.

"I feel like we've had conversations before, yet this is probably going to be the only one I'll be able to recall." I said looking up at the Cybertronian god.

Primus chuckled kindly and looked down at me with love and kindness in his optics. "Little one, all that you know is about to be challenged by one you shall meet. I do not yet know who it is, but beware the path that they will try to take you down. Farewell my brave Warrior, we shall not speak again."

I opened my eyes and was once again in the music room at the Autobots base. I let out a sigh of frustration and looked down at the Ring and silently cursed it. _What does he mean, we'll never speak again? I need his help now more than ever._ I thought.

I walked out of the room and bumped into Jenna. "I'm sorry." we both apologized at the same time.

"Do you sing?" I asked Jenna randomly.

"Yes I do, why do you ask?" Jenna answered puzzled.

"Because I'm thinking about doing a song for the Battle of the Bands, and I think that you can help us with it." I replied with a smile.

_**Two Weeks Later in Las Vegas**_

I was standing backstage waiting for our band to be called. The State Battle of the Bands worked differently than the school one did there were three rounds. The first round the bands would perform three songs then, if they scored high enough they'd move on to the second round. In order to move on a band needed to score at least 80 points out of 120 points to move on. In order to move on to the third round a band needed to score at least 90 points out of 120 points in the second round after performing another three songs. The champion was determined by who scored the most in the third and final round out of 160 points, out of performing four songs. If there were a tie between bands, then the tie would be broken by the total amount of points scored throughout the tournament. I was wearing a red sleeveless tee and black shorts. My prosthetic was hidden from the world by the power of my Ring. The more I thought about the Ring of the Primes, the more it sounded like the Lord of the Rings. I looked over at Jacen and Ben, and saw that they were talking to Jenna. Jacen was dressed in a similar fashion to me, but he had a blue sleeveless tee instead of a black one. Ben was dressed similar to the two of us as well, but his sleeveless tee was orange. Jenna was wearing a black tank top and a medium length black skirt. I walked over to the three of them and placed my hand on Ben's right shoulder. "Remember what song we're playing next?" I asked.

"Yeah." Ben answered, Jacen nodded.

"Good." I said. I looked over at Jenna and said, "Remember, we'll only need you if we make it farther than the first round." Jenna nodded her understanding. "Alright, we're up next, let's get ready." I walked over to where my SG was and quickly slung it on so that the strap rested on my left shoulder. Jacen put on his bass and I rolled my neck in apprehension.

"Please welcome our next band, coming all the way from Jasper, Nevada, Defiance!" the commentator introduced us.

Ben, Jacen, and I walked onto the stage and took our positions. Ben behind the drum set, me behind a microphone, and Jacen to my right behind a microphone as well. I placed my right hand behind my back and signaled to Ben that I was about to start the first song. I started the opening riff and then Ben got into the drumming. I then came in with the verses when it was time. The song went like this:

_I'm gonna fight 'em off_

_A seven nation army couldn't hold me back_

_They're gonna rip it off_

_Taking their time right behind my back_

_And I'm talking to myself at night because I can't forget_

_Back and forth through my mind behind a cigarette_

_And the message coming from my eyes it says leave it alone_

_Don't want to hear about it_

_Every single one's got a story to tell_

_Everyone knows about it_

_From the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell_

_And if I catch you coming back my way I'm gonna serve it to you_

_And that ain't what you want to hear, but that's what I'll do_

_And the feeling coming from my bones it says find a home_

_***guitar solo**__*_

_I'm going to Wichita_

_Far from this opera forever more_

_I'm gonna work the straw,_

_Make the sweat drip from every pore_

_And I'm pleading and I'm pleading and I'm pleading right before the Lord_

_All the words are gonna bleed from me and I will think no more_

_And the stains coming from my blood tell me go back home_

The song ended and the judges deliberated while I gave the signal to Ben and Jacen what our next song was going to be. I changed the tuning of my guitar to D tuning quickly and then once I was satisfied I started the intro to the next song and my brothers soon caught up with me. Our second song went like this:

_These are my famous last word!_

_My number's up, bridges all burned_

_Oh won't you let me twist your fate_

_It's getting kind of late but I don't wanna wait no more_

_Well may I have this dance of days _

_Locked in your embrace_

_Passed your test of faith_

_Another time another place_

_Another line upon your face_

_Another in your way_

_Down crooked stairs, and sideways glances_

_Comes the king of second chances_

_Now throw him in the flame_

_Whatever keeps you warm at night_

Ben and Jacen after me (Whatever keeps you warm at night)

_Whatever keeps you warm inside_

_Your bridges are burning down_

_They're all coming down_

_IT's all coming round_

_You're all burning them down_

_It's all coming round_

_They're all coming down_

_Your bridges are burning down_

_Oh let me put you in your place_

_I love it when you say_

_Giving everything away_

_Tell what's in it for me_

_Tell me now what's in it for me_

_No one's getting this for free_

_So tell me now what's in it for me_

_Whatever keeps you warm at night_

Ben and Jacen after me (Whatever keeps you warm at night)

_Whatever keeps you warm inside_

_Your bridges are burning down_

_They're all coming down_

_It's all coming round_

_You're burning them down_

_It's all coming round_

_They're all coming down_

_Your bridges are burning down_

_Gathering the ashes_

_Everything thrown away_

_Gathering the ashes_

_Scatter as they blow away_

_Gathering the ashes_

_Everything thrown away_

_Gathering the ashes _

_Scatter as they blow away_

_Your bridges are burning down_

_They're all coming down_

_It's all coming round_

_You're burning 'em down_

_It's all coming round_

_They're all coming down_

_Gathering the ashes _(Ben and Jacen singing simultaneously _Your bridges are burning down)_

_Everything thrown away (_Ben and Jacen singing simultaneously _They're all coming down)_

_Gathering the ashes_

_Scatter as they blow away (_Ben and Jacen singing simultaneously _It's all coming round)_

_Gathering the ashes (_Ben and Jacen singing simultaneously_ You're burning them down)_

_Everything is thrown away (_Ben and Jacen singing simultaneously _It's all coming round)  
Gathering the ashes (_Ben and Jacen singing simultaneously _They're all coming down)  
Scatter as they blow (_Ben and Jacen singing simultaneously _Your bridges are burning down)_

The song ended and the arena was roaring with applause and approval. I hoped that the judges and the audience would like the third choice for the night as well. I quickly changed the tuning back on my guitar back to standard tuning and turned my attention back to Ben and Jacen. I gave them a slight nod and then turned back to face the crowd.I tapped my left foot, which was the signal that I was about to start and that my siblings should get ready, then started the intro to the third song of the night. It went like this:

_Load up on guns, bring your friends_

_It's fun to lose and to pretend_

_She's overboard and self-assured_

_Oh, no, I know a dirty word_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello_

_With the lights out, it's less dangerous_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_I feel stupid and contagious _

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_A mulatto_

_An albino_

_A mosquito_

_My libido_

_Yea_

_Hey…Yay_

_I'm worse at what I do best_

_And for this gift I feel blessed_

_Our little group has always been _

_And always will until the end_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello_

_With the lights out, it's less dangerous_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_I feel stupid and contagious_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_A mulatto_

_An albino_

_A mosquito_

_My libido _

_Yeah_

_Hey…Yay_

_***guitar solo**__*_

_And I forget jus why I taste_

_Oh, yeah, I guess it makes me smile_

_I found it hard, it's hard to find_

_Oh well, whatever, nevermind_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low_

_Hello, Hello, Hello_

_With the lights out, it's less dangerous_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_I feel stupid and contagious_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_A mulatto_

_An albino_

_A mosquito_

_My libido_

_Yeah a denial_

_A denial_

_A denial_

_A denial_

_A denial_

_A denial_

_A denial_

_A denial_

_A denial _

_A denial_

_A denial _

The song ended and a louder cheer went through the audience. Ben stood up from behind the drum set and walked out from behind it. Ben, Jacen, and I linked arms and then bowed towards the crowed. We exited the stage and sat down on a sofa. I grabbed a water bottle and took a swig of water. The water felt good on my throat. Jenna approached the three of us and said, "The three of you performed really well tonight."

"Thanks, Jenna." Ben said with a smile.

"It won't mean anything unless we can move on." Jacen said with a grin.

"You can't seriously be thinking that it's only about first place?" I asked with a groan.

My twins grin got even larger and he replied, "What good is trying if you can't win?"

"When will you find out your score?" Jenna asked.

"Ten minutes or so." Ben said with a shrug.

_Ten minutes later_

I was looking down at the scorecard in shock, we had scored a 115 out of the 120 points possible. "Looks like we're moving on to the rounds tomorrow night." I said happily.

**Authors Note:  
I do not own the lyrics to Seven Nation Army, Bridge Burning, or Smells Like Teen Spirit. The lyrics belong to The White Stripes, the Foo Fighters, and Nirvana. I'd like to thank Guest: Princess of Dreams and zrexheartz for reviewing.**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter XXIX

Battle of the Bands Revisited

**Luke's POV**

I was pacing around in our hotel room waiting for the all clear to come from the hotel's staff that would be escorting Ben, Jacen, Jenna, and myself to the auditorium where we would be performing once again. I still couldn't believe the score that we had received the other night. I was dressed in all black this time, Jacen was wearing a red sleeveless tee and black shorts, and Ben was wearing a blue sleeveless tee and black shorts. Jenna was wearing a similar outfit to what she wore yesterday, except the difference was that the tank top was red with black highlights around the neck. The hotel staff knocked on the door and Ben answered it. "It's time to go." the man said.

The four of us followed the three staff members to the auditorium and then backstage. Our band was going to be the sixth band out of twelve that would perform tonight. "Do you think that mom will show up tonight?" Ben asked hopefully.

What Ben really meant was will the Autobots turn up tonight to watch us perform. "It's hard to say, Ben." Jacen said, "She's very busy."

"I know." Ben said with a defeated expression on his face.

I walked over to Jenna and sat down next to her on a sofa. "You alright?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jenna said, "Just a bit nervous."

"That's understandable."

"You just need me for that one song right?"

"Yeah, we'll do it first to get it out of the way if you'd like."

"Please."

"Then we'll do that song first."

Bands came and went, before we were signaled that it was our turn to perform. I grabbed an electric acoustic guitar and tuned it back stage properly for the song that Jenna would be singing. Jacen and Ben walked over to the two of us. "You're doing that song first then?" Jacen asked.

"Yeah, we're getting it out of the way." I said. I looked down at the guitar quickly and then back at Jacen and Ben, "I would still recommend coming out on stage with us, but if you could would you bring my Les Paul and my SG out with you Ben?"

"Yeah, no problem Luke." Ben said with a nod.

"Thanks."

"Now, it is my pleasure to introduce the band that got one of the highest scores in the first round last night, DEFIANCE!" the announcer's voice boomed.

"That'd be us." Jacen said.

"Sure would." Ben said with a grin.

The four of us walked out onto the stage and were welcomed by a tide of cheers and applause. I walked over to one of the stagehands and whispered into his ear, "Would you be so kind to go and get three stools?"

"No problem, sir." he replied with a smile.

The stagehand came back with the three stools and sat them down. I nodded my thanks and sat down on one, Jenna sat on the one on my left and Jacen strapped on his own electric acoustic guitar and sat down on my right. Jenna pulled the microphone closer to her and nodded to me and Jacen that she was ready. I looked behind me and saw that Ben was behind his drum set and he gave a nod that he was just going to sit there and wait for the next song. My Les Paul and SG were next to the drum set. I started the opening chords and Jacen followed suit. Jenna opened her mouth and sang in a beautiful voice, this was the song:

_I remember tears streaming down your face_

_When I said, "I'll never let you go"_

_When all those shadows almost killed your light_

_I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"_

_But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight_

_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be alright_

_No one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light_

_You and I'll be safe and sound_

_Don't you dare look out your window, darling,_

_Everything's on fire_

_The war outside our door keeps raging on_

_Hold on to this lullaby_

_Even when the music's gone_

_Gone_

_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be alright_

_No one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light_

_You and I'll be safe and sound_

_Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh,_

_Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh,_

_La La (_Ben, Jacen, and I simultaneously singing _La La)_

_La La _(Ben, Jacen, and I simultaneously singing _La La)_

_Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh_

_Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh_

_La La (_Ben, Jacen, and I simultaneously singing _La La)_

_La La_ (Ben, Jacen, and I simultaneously singing _La La)_

_Just close your eyes_

_You'll be alright_

_Come morning light_

_You and I'll be safe and sound… _

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oh oh_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oh oh_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oh oh_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oh oh_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oh oh_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oh oh_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oh oh_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oh oh_

The last chord faded away and Jenna, Jacen, and I stood up from our stools. I signaled the stagehand from earlier to come and take the stools and he came jogging onto the stage. He took the stools and jogged off the stage. I unslung my guitar, unplugged it from the amp and handed it to Jenna, Jacen did likewise. "You did great." I whispered into Jenna's ear as she took the guitars. Jenna smiled as she walked off the stage. I walked over to Ben and picked up my Les Paul and Jacen came over to pick up his bass guitar. "What song are we doing next?" Ben asked.

"Alive and Amplified." I answered.

Ben and Jacen grinned like schoolboys and I couldn't help but grin myself. I walked over to the amp and plugged the Les Paul into it. I went to the microphone and spoke into it, "How ya'll doin tonight?" I was greeted with a roar of cheers from the crowd. I smiled at the crowd and knew that Jacen was ready. "Good, glad to know I'm not the only one having a good time!" With that I started the main riff to Alive and Amplified. There's something that you need to understand though first, what you need to understand is that with this song there's a lot of singing simultaneously, but Ben, Jacen, and I were pros at this sort of thing. We grew up together and knew how the other voices worked. So we started out together then drifted apart.

(Simultaneously sung_ Na, na, na, na! Na, na, na! Na, na, na!)_

_Plug me in and turn me on_

_Listen here cause here it comes_

_Got hot licks on ya guitar strings_

_Riffs and rhythms and guitar thangs_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive_

_(_Simultaneously sung once more _Na, na, na , na! Na, na, na! Na, na, na!)_

_Finger tingle got that feelin'_

_Ya just touched the Sistine ceilin'_

_Come alive and a gimme five_

_Just slap my hand and amplify_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive_

_(_Simultaneously sung once more _Na, na, na , na! Na, na, na! Na, na, na!)_

_***guitar solo**__*_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up _

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up _

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up_

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive and amplified_

_Turn me on and turn me up _

_And turn me loose_

_I am alive_

(Simultaneously sung once more _Na, na, na , na! Na, na, na! Na, na, na!)_

The song ended and the crowd was cheering really loudly now. I unplugged the Les Paul and walked over to my SG. I had tuned the SG especially for the next song that we were going to play. I slung the SG onto my shoulder and then walked back to the amp, plugged it in, and then was ready to play again. I signaled to Ben and Jacen that I was ready, and Ben signaled to Jacen, who then in turn signaled to me. Since everyone was ready, I started the riff to the next song, and the crowd knew this one and started cheering louder. I sang:

_If you feel so empty_

_So used up, so let down_

_If you feel so angry_

_So ripped off, so stepped on_

_You're not the only one_

_Refusing to back down_

_You're not the only one_

_So get up_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_If you feel so filthy_

_So dirty, so effed up_

_If you feel so walked on_

_So painful, so pissed off_

_You're not the only one_

_Refusing to go down_

_You're not the only one_

_So get up_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_***guitar solo**__*_

_If you feel so empty_

_So used up, so let down_

_If you feel so angry_

_Just get up_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot,_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

_Let's start a riot, a riot_

_Let's start a riot_

The song ended on a chord and the crowd went wild. Ben stood up from behind his drum set and joined Jacen and me once more. The three of us linked arms and bowed, then exited the stage. Jenna embraced the three of us and said, "Great job you three."

"Not too shabby of a job yourself." Jacen said with a lopsided grin.

The four of us laughed and waited for our scores to get in. "How do you think they grade us?" Ben asked.

"I think that it's based off of how well we played, the crowds activity, and if we did the song justice." I said with a slight shrug.

"Defiance," a hotel staff member said. The four of us turned and looked at him, "you have visitors, they say they're family."

"Let them in." I said.

Mom walked into the backstage area along with Nightshade, Nightblaze, Shadow, Arcee, Bumblebee, Aunt June, Miko, Raf, and Jack. "What are you all doing here?" Ben asked in surprise.

"Seeing you, duh." Miko said.

Our mom stepped forward and embraced me, Jacen, and Ben. "I'm so proud of the three of you. You performed amazingly tonight." She stepped away from us and looked at Jenna who was standing there embarrassed. "You did an amazing job singing that Taylor Swift song young lady." our mom said.

"Thank you, ma'am." Jenna said with a slight smile.

"We need to get you out of here." Arcee said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Con activity." Nightblaze answered.

"Seriously? You don't honestly think that they'd attack Las Vegas just to get to me and Jacen, do you?" I asked.

"Well…"

"Didn't think so. The even will finish tonight anyway." I said, "If we don't make it passed this round, we'll come back, but if we make it to the third and final round, we have four more songs to play."

"Very well." Arcee said grimly.

A stagehand came running back with an envelope and handed it to me. I thanked him and opened it. "We scored another 115 out of 120." I said.

"When's your next performance then?" Arcee asked.

"Not for another three hours, at the least." I said.

_**Three Hours Later**_

Ben, Jacen, and I were all once again backstage waiting for our turn to perform. There were only three teams left, and we performed last. I was pacing backstage with my hands behind my back. "Sit down, Luke." Jacen said, "You're making me nervous."

"Sorry." I apologized as I sat down next to my twin brother, "It's just that the other two bands have sounded so great, I don't know if we can match that."

"Luke, we're the only three man band in this competition." Ben pointed out.

"Ben's got a point there." Jacen said with a smile.

"What song do we want to do first?" I asked.

"Number two." Ben said.

"What song is that?" Jacen asked.

"Prayer of the Refugee." I answered, "You'll need a guitar, not a your bass for the next two songs then."  
"Why what song do you wanna do second?" Jacen asked.

"Well, I was thinking about doing Re-Education." I said, "What were you thinking about doing?"  
"One Little Victory." Jacen replied.

"I personally think that One Little Victory would be better for the end." Ben said.

"Alright." Jacen conceded.

"Then what are we going to do for the third song?" I asked.

"How bout Paranoid?" Jacen suggested.

"Everyone here know how to play it?" I asked. My brothers nodded in response and I said, "Good."

"So we have our four songs?" Ben asked.

"We have our four songs." I nodded. I looked over at Jacen and said, "You're going to have to sing the last song, I can't pull of the Geddy Lee very well."

Jacen let out a sigh but nodded. "I understand." he said.

"For our last performance of the evening, the three man wonder, DEFIANCE!"

"Why does he always have to scream the bands name?" Ben wondered out loud.

Jacen and I laughed briefly before stepping out onto the stage with Ben in tow. I handed Jacen my SG and strapped on my Les Paul. I plugged it into the amp and stepped in front of the microphone. Jacen mirrored my movements with the SG and Ben sat down behind the drum set. I took a deep breath and waited for a couple of counts. I placed my right hand behind my back and pointed three fingers down at the floor, then brought my hand back in front. I started the main riff to the song and then started to sing. The song went like this:

_Warm yourself by the fire son_

_And the morning will come soon_

_I'll tell you stories of a better time _

_In a place that we once knew_

_Before we packed our bags_

_And left all this behind us in the dust_

_We had a place that we could call home_

_And a life no one could touch_

_Don't hold me up now_

_I can stand my own ground_

_I don't need your help now_

_You will let me down, down, down!_

_Don't hold me up now_

_I can stand my own ground_

_I don't need your help now_

_You will let me down, down, down!_

_Down!_

_We are the angry and the desperate_

_The hungry and the cold_

_We are the ones who kept quiet _

_And always did what we were told_

_But we've been sweating while you slept so calm_

_In the safety of your home_

_We've been pulling out the nails that hold up_

_Everything you've known_

_Don't hold me up now_

_I can stand my own ground_

_I don't need your help now_

_You will let me down, down, down!_

_Don't hold me up now_

_I can stand my own ground_

_I don't need your help now_

_You will let me down, down, down!_

_So open your eyes child_

_Let's be on our way_

_Broken windows and ashes_

_Are guiding the way_

_Keep quiet no longer _

_We'll sing through the day_

_Of the lives that we've lost_

_And the lives we've reclaimed_

_GO!_

_***guitar solo**__*_

_Don't hold me up now_

_I can stand my own ground_

_I don't need your help now_

_You will let me down, down, down!  
Down hold me up now_

_I can stand my own ground_

_I don't need your help now_

_You will let me down, down, down!_

_Don't hold me up… (_Jacen singing after _I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)_

_Don't hold me up… (_Jacen singing after _I don't need your help)_

_No! No! No!_

_Don't hold me up… (_Jacen singing after _I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)_

_Don't hold me up… (_Jacen singing after _I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)_

_Don't let me down, down, down, down, down!_

The song ended and I spoke into the microphone, "Thank you."

I gave a signal to Jacen and Ben to get ready for the next song and then started the riff. I then started to sing when it came time. The song went like this:  
_To the sound of a heartbeat pounding away_

_To the rhythm of the awful rusted machine_

_We toss and turn but don't sleep_

_Each breath we take makes us thieves_

_Like causes without rebels_

_Just talk but promise nothing else_

_We crawl on our knees for you_

_Under a sky no longer blue_

_We sweat all day long for you_

_But we sow seeds to see us through_

'_Cause sometimes dreams just don't come true_

_We wait to reap what we are due_

_To the rhythm of a time bomb ticking away_

_And the blare of the sirens combing the streets_

_Chased down like dogs we run from_

_Your grasp until the sun comes up_

_We crawl on our knees for you_

_Under a sky no longer blue_

_We sweat all day long for you_

_But we sow seeds to see us through_

'_Cause sometimes dreams just don't come true_

_Look now at what they've done to you_

_White needles buried in the red_

_The engine roars and then it gives_

_But never dies_

'_Cause we don't live _

_We just survive_

_On the scraps that you throw away_

_I won't crawl on my knees for you_

_I won't believe the lies that hide the truth_

_I won't sweat one more drop for you_

'_Cause we are the rust upon your gears _

_We are the insect in your ears_

_We crawl_

_We crawl_

_We crawl… all over you_

_We sow the seeds to see us through_

_Our days are precious and so few_

_We all reap what we are due_

_Under this sky no longer blue_

_We bring the dawn long over-due_

_We crawl_

_We crawl_

_We crawl… all over you_

The song ended and Jacen exchanged my SG for his bass guitar. He strapped on the bass and plugged it in. He looked at me and signaled that he was ready to play. I glanced behind me at Ben and he nodded. I started the intro riff to our next song and my brothers followed when they were supposed to come in. The song went like this:  
_Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind_

_People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time_

_All day long I think of things but nothing seems to satisfy_

_Think I'll lose my mind if I don't find something to pacify_

_Can you help me occupy my brain?  
Oh yeah_

_I need someone to show me the things in life that I can't find_

_I can't see the things that make happiness, I must be blind_

_***guitar solo**__*_

_Make a joke and I will sigh and you will laugh and I will cry_

_Happiness I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal_

_And so as you hear these words telling you now of my state_

_I tell you to enjoy life I wish I could but it's too late_

We finished with the outro to the song and then finished the song entirely. I looked over at Jacen and thought _It's your time to shine buddy_.

I changed the settings on my foot pedal so that I could have the appropriate distortion sound that I would need for the next song. Jacen signaled to Ben and me that he was ready and we signaled back. I took a deep breath and then we started the song. Jacen opened his mouth and sang:

_A certain measure of innocence_

_Willing to appear naïve _

_A certain degree of imagination_

_A measure of make-believe_

_A certain degree of surrender_

_To the forces of light and heat_

_A shot of satisfaction_

_In a willingness to risk defeat_

_Celebrate the moment_

_As it turns into one more_

_Another chance at victory_

_Another chance to score_

_The measure of the moment_

_In a difference of degree_

_Just one little victory_

_A spirit breaking free_

_One little victory_

_The greatest act can be_

_One little victory_

_A certain measure of righteousness_

_A certain amount of force_

_A certain degree of determination_

_Daring on a different course_

_A certain amount of resistance_

_To the forces of light and love_

_A certain measure of tolerance_

_A willingness to rise above_

_One little victory_

_One little victory_

_One little victory_

_One little victory_

_Celebrate the moment_

_As it turns into one more_

_Another chance at victory_

_Another chance to score_

_The measure of the moment_

_In a difference of degree_

_Just one little victory_

_A spirit breaking free_

_The greatest act can be_

_One little victory_

_The greatest act can be_

_One little victory_

_One little victory_

_One little victory_

_One little victory_

_One little victory_

_Just one little victory_

_Just one little victory_

_One little victory_

_One little victory_

The song ended and the crowd cheered. I shut down the amp and unplugged my guitar. Jacen did the same with his bass and Ben stepped out from behind the drum set. Ben joined Jacen and me once again and we linked arms for the third time in two nights, and bowed towards the crowd for the last time. The three of us then walked off the stage and into the backstage area. We were met by our family, friends, and the Autobots, minus Optimus and Ratchet. "Good job." Jenna said smiling.

"Thanks." Ben said with a grin.

"We at least got third." I said smiling.

"We at most got first." Jacen said with that lopsided grin of his.

"When will you find out the results to see if you've won or not?" Nightshade asked.

"Ten minutes." I answered.

"Why is it always ten minutes?" Arcee asked.

"Simply because that's how long it takes the judges to deliberate." I said.

"I see."

Ten minutes passed and the last three bands were called onto the stage. The band that had played first received second place with 139 points out of the possible 160, the second band that had played received third place with 135 points out of the possible 160, and we received first place with 150 points out of the possible 160. We took the trophy and the prize money and then left the hotel with the Autobots, Jenna, our mom, Aunt June, Raf, Miko, and Jack. We went into an alley where a ground bridge was waiting. We all walked through and I was surprised to see a new Autobot standing next to Optimus and Ratchet. "Who's that?" I asked.

"Ben, Jacen, Luke," Optimus said, "this is Smokescreen, our new recruit."

**Authors Note:**

**I do not own the lyrics to Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift, Alive & Amplified by The Moony Suzuki, Riot by Three Days Grace, Prayer of the Refugee and Re-Education (Through Labor) by Rise Against, Paranoid by Black Sabbath, and One Little Victory by Rush. I'd like to thank Guest: Princess of Dreams for reviewing.**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter XXX

Mission

**Jacen's POV**

I didn't know now to tell Luke about the mission that we were supposed to go on, but I knew I didn't have much choice in the matter. It had been a day since Smokescreen had arrived, and I hadn't heard the details about his arrival. All I knew was that Bulkhead wasn't really pleased by the rookies arrival. I was currently in my room sitting on my bed contemplating whether or not to actually tell Luke about the mission. I picked up the notebook that contained the mission info and read through it again. If Luke was not involved, the mission would be impossible. I got up off my bed and exited my room. I headed for Luke's room and knocked. There wasn't an answer. I knocked again, still no answer. I rolled my eyes and headed to the training room. I opened the door and saw Ben standing in the middle of the room with his training sword going through different stances under the careful eye of Luke. I approached my twin and said, "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Luke asked, still watching Ben.

"While you were at the monastery, Sector 8 sent me a mission file for the two of us for when you got back." I answered.

"Ben, take a break." Luke said. He turned and looked at me and tilted his head and walked away. I followed him and he stopped about ten feet from where we started. "What's the mission?" he whispered.

"We need to go find the wreckage of the _Edmund Fitzgerald._" I said.

"It's already been found." Luke said.

"There are reports that it has Energon on it, Sector 8 wants us to bring it back."

Luke frowned and then shook his head, "I'm done with them, Jace." he said, "I don't want any part in any more of their missions."

"Luke, we both signed contracts." I reminded him, "We cannot pick and choose our missions."

"Then I'll let them know, this'll be my last one."

"We need to get ready."

"I'll meet you in the main room in twenty minutes." Luke said as we walked away from me.

**Luke's POV**

I approached Ben and told him, "We'll have to continue your lesson another day, I guess I have to go on a mission for Sector 8."

"I understand, just come home safely." Ben said.

"I'll ask Shade if he could teach you in my stead."  
"You don't have to do that." Ben protested.  
"I have a strange feeling, Ben." I confessed, "A feeling that I haven't felt since after dad died."  
"You think something's going to happen?"  
"I think someone is going to die." I said gloomily.

"Oh." Ben said looking worried.

I placed my left hand on his right shoulder, "I'll do my best to be safe, don't worry about me."

"Just come home." Ben said looking into my eyes.

"One way or another, I will come home eventually." I said darkly. I took my hand off Ben's shoulder and then left the room. I walk to my own room and stripped. I pulled out a pair of compression shorts and put them on, then pulled on my combat suit over it. "The _Edmund Fitzgerald_." I muttered crossly, "Could've at least been above ground."

I put on the belt and attached my sword to it. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to be the last time I saw this room. I sat down behind the desk in my room and wrote on a piece of paper and sealed the paper in an envelope when I was done writing. On the envelope I wrote _To Shade, Ben, and Mom_ then set it down on my bed right on my pillow. I grabbed my helmet from where it hung by the door and then walked out of my room. I walked to the med bay and saw Ratchet in there. I walked over to him and asked, "How's Amanda doing?"  
"She's doing better and she's stable now. I'll be able to bring her out of the coma in a couple of days." Ratchet said. The medic turned around and looked at me surprised when he saw my attire. "Are you planning on fighting someone?" he asked.

"Sector 8 is sending Jacen and me on a mission to find some Energon, I don't know what will happen so I need to be prepared." I replied.

"That sounds logical." Ratchet said, "Have you told Nightshade?"  
I shook my head, "I only found out about ten minutes ago."

"I see." Ratchet said scratching the back of his head, "You're not going to take him with I presume?"  
"No, we're not."

"Well, I had better get you to the ground bridge."

"Thanks, Ratchet."

The two of us walked out of the med bay and into the main room where we met Jacen. "Ready?" my twin asked me.

"As ready as I'll every be." I muttered.

"Where shall I open the ground bridge to?" Ratchet asked looking down at the two of us.

"Sector 8 head quarters." Jacen answered.

"Alright." Ratchet said. He walked over to the ground bridge controls and put in the coordinates. He pulled down the lever and then nodded that it was safe to go through.

Jacen and I turned around to go through the ground bridge and we were about to walk through it when I stopped and turned back around. "Thanks Ratchet. I have a request though, don't let Shade, Blaze, and especially our mother through after us, please." I said, "This mission can't have any distractions."  
"Understood." Ratchet said, "Now, get going."

I nodded and turned back around and caught up to Jacen.

"What was all that about?" Jacen asked me.

"I just asked the good doctor to not let our guardians and our mother follow us." I said.

"Good idea." Jacen said.

"Did you get a new combat suit?" I asked.

"Yeah, you like it?" Jacen replied with a smile.

I rolled my eyes and we came out of the ground bridge. "General Porter, Captain Porter, it's good to see the two of you." Agent Fowler greeted us.

"It's good to see you too, Agent Fowler." Jacen said with a smile.

"When do we leave for our mission?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Immediately." Agent Fowler replied.

"Good, I hate to be kept waiting." I said.

Fowler led Jacen and me to a hanger where a Blackhawk helicopter was waiting. "This Blackhawk will take you to Lake Superior. Once on the shores of the lake, the two of you will rendezvous with a ship that will take you above the wreckage of the ship." Fowler explained, "Once above the ship, one of you will have to dive down, I understand that you both have specialized suits that Ratchet made for you, and helmets as well, those will come in handy."  
"What's so important about this Energon anyway?" I asked.

"You told him it was Energon?" Fowler asked looking at Jacen.

I stood up straighter and looked at my twin brother, narrowing my eyes. "You. Did. What?" I asked my brother angrily.

"It's not that big of a deal…" Jacen said.

"Not that big of a deal!" I interrupted, "You lied to me Jacen!"

"Well, yes but…"  
"What the hell is in the ship then, if not Energon?" I interrupted again, still pissed.

"Rumors that MECH has built a new underwater base there, we're being sent to investigate." Jacen said.

"Good god!" I exclaimed, "There would be nothing there, rumors are rumors, nothing more. There isn't any hard evidence is there?"

"Well, no." Jacen answered.

"There you go!" I said. I turned and looked at Fowler, "If you'll excuse me Agent Fowler, I need to talk to General Bryce."

"Talk to me about what?"

I turned around and saw General Bryce walking towards the three of us. I waited until the general was about four paces away from me before I said, "My resignation."

"Why is that?" General Bryce asked.

"I don't want any part in this war on MECH any longer." I said lowering my head.

"I see." General Bryce responded.

"Sir!" an agent said running up to the four of us.

The four of us turned towards the agent and looked expectantly at the agent when she stopped. "What is it Agent Johnson?" General Bryce asked.

"We've just received reports that Silas has attacked a base and has taken Project Damocles." Agent Johnson replied.

General Bryce cursed and I frowned. "I thought that Silas was killed when Nemesis Prime was destroyed." I said.

"We thought so too." Agent Fowler said, "But we couldn't find Silas' body."

"He didn't do it as Silas Bishop, he did it as the Decepticon, Breakdown." Agent Johnson said.

"How is that possible?" Jacen asked.

"MECH agents must've found a way to combine Silas to the dead body of Breakdown and form a human/Cybertronian hybrid." I said disgusted.

"How did you know Breakdown was dead?" Jacen asked me, "You were gone."

"Shade told me." I said simply.

"Ah."

"If you were Silas, what would you do with that kind of body?" General Bryce asked.

I put my chin in my right hand and thought for a second, and then an answer came to me. I looked up and said, "I'd terminate my crew, take what I had created, then see if I could join the Decepticons."

A ground bridge opened and Jenna came through. "What are you doing here?" Jacen asked.

"Seeing if I could help out." Jenna replied, "I read the notebook, your mission seems impossible. You need someone who knows mountains."

I looked over at Jacen and said, "I thought you said it was underwater."

"Well…"  
"For the love of God, Jacen, how many times are you going to lie to me?" I asked peeved.

"I was going to tell you, I just needed to break it to you slowly first." Jacen tried to defend himself.

"Don't give me that shit." I snapped. I looked over at Jenna and asked, "What mountains, and what did it say the mission was?"

"The notebook said that the mission was to infiltrate a human and Decepticon alliance base in the Sierra Mountains." Jenna answered.

My eyes widened in shock. I looked over at Jacen, Fowler, and General Bryce. "A human and Con alliance?" I asked, "When were any of you going to tell me?"

"Agent Johnson," General Bryce said.

"Yes, sir?"

"I think that it'd be best if you'd leave now."

"Yes, sir." Agent Johnson said. She gave a salute and then jogged away.

General Bryce turned to face me and said, "Look, Captain, we were going to tell you, but you went off radar for almost a week."

"I needed answers, answers that the Bots, and you weren't telling me." I said looking at General Bryce. I was getting angry. "Just how dangerous are these humans that have allied themselves with the Cons?"

"Extremely dangerous." Fowler said, "The robots that had attacked the base in the Himalayas with that Con, they were made by human hands."

"I didn't see any robots there besides the Con." I said. I stopped and then thought for a second. "Then again, I was attacked by one other, but that was about it."

"That's because the robots were ground bridged out of there before you got there." General Bryce said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Security footage."

"I'll do this one last mission, but then I'm done." I said looking General Bryce in the eye.

"Understood."

I nodded and turned to look at my twin brother. "Well Mr. Liar, lead us to the Sierra Mountains." I said in a low voice.

Jacen looked at Agent Fowler and asked, "Can we still use that Blackhawk?"

"Yes, you can." Fowler answered.

"Great." I groaned, "Helicopters."

"What's wrong, Luke?" Jacen asked with a smile.

"They're loud and cumbersome, and you'd better get that smirk off of your face before I punch it off!" I growled.

Jacen chuckled and I shook my head and led Jenna over behind a crate. "Jenna, in the notebook, I'm guessing that it gave the whereabouts of the base, am I correct?"

"Yes, you're correct." Jenna answered.

"Then tell me the real reason why you're here." I said.

"Because, Jacen left a letter on his desk in his room to come and tell you about this." Jenna said.

I was stunned, "You're serious?"

Jenna nodded, "I also came to tell you, I've come to care about you."

That stunned me some more, but I had something that I had to confess to her as well. "Jenna, I don't think that it'd be the most…" I was saying before Jenna kissed me on the lips interrupting me.

I broke off the kiss and looked into Jenna's eyes. "Jenna, you hardly know me." I said, "I hardly know you. We need time to get to know one another. If I survive the raid on the base, we'll talk. I promise." I walked out from behind the crates and put my helmet on. I secured my helmet to the combat suit and jumped into the Blackhawk.

"Ready?" Jacen asked.

"Just get us to the base." I said.

Jacen got the helicopter into the air and we flew off into the clear, blue, sky.

**Ben's POV**

I couldn't take it anymore! Luke and Jacen were always constantly leaving for missions or something to that affect. It was driving me insane! I walked out of the training room after a good hour after Luke and Jacen had left, and made my way to my room. I saw Luke's bedroom door open and out of curiosity, I went inside. I turned the lights on and saw on his desk an envelope. I cocked my head to the side and walked over to the desk. The envelope was addressed to me, mom, and Nightshade. My heart was pounding, I looked around and sat down on the chair behind the desk. I opened the envelope and read the letter;

_Dear Mom, Ben, and Shade,_

_I'm writing this letter because I know in my heart that the next mission will be my last one. I cannot say if it will end for good or for ill, but it will end. There's something Jacen isn't telling me about the mission and I suspect that there is more to it than finding Energon in a sunken ship. If Jacen should return alone, know that I love you all and that I am sorry that I chose this, and that I am sorry that I could not make it home. Just remember that you're my family, and my family is always my number one priority. If this mission goes ill, I'm sorry._

_Love, _

_Luke_

I let the letter slip from my hands and I stared at the wall in front of me in utter shock. I closed my eyes and felt tears leak out from behind my eyelids. I stayed that way for a short period of time, before I head my name, "Ben?"

I opened my eyes and turned the desk chair around. I saw Nightshade, Nightblaze, Shadow, and my mom standing in the doorway. "Hey, guys." I croaked.

"Ben, honey, what's wrong?" my mom asked.

I closed my eyes and looked away, "Nothing." I lied.

"Benjamin!"

I winced, "This letter that Luke addressed to you, me, and Nightshade."

"What letter?"  
I turned back around and picked up the letter and then stood up, walked over to my mom, and handed it to her. As she read it, she clasped her hand to her mouth, and tears welled in her eyes. I looked up at Nightshade and saw that his reaction was one of shock. He looked at Nightblaze and asked, "Jacen tells you a lot, what did he say the mission was?"

"A raid on a human, Con alliance's base." Nightblaze replied.

"WHAT!" my mom roared.

Everyone in the area and doorway winced, "That's what Jacen told me, ma'am." Nightblaze said.

"You better be praying that they didn't send my boys alone to raid the base." my mom threatened.

"The did." Nightblaze said in a small voice.

"General Bryce has got another thing comin' if he thinks he can pull one like that on my boys! What the hell were the two of them thinking?"

"I'm guessing by the letter that Luke didn't know about it until he got to Sector 8." Nightshade said.

"Oh, I'm going to be busting some Sector 8 heads when I get there!"

**Luke's POV**

After a brief helicopter flight Jacen got us to our destination, or at least a couple of miles within range of our destination. "Do we have any long range weapons?" I asked looking at Jacen.

"We have two sniper rifles, two M16 assault rifles, six grenades, and one RPG." Jacen answered.

"Do we have the tools that are needed to make accurate shots with the sniper rifles from a mile away?" I asked.

Jacen shook his head, "No but if we can get within half a mile we'll be fine."

"We still need to calculate the wind factor, Jace." I admonished, "This isn't going to be easy."

"No, it isn't." Jacen said.

"Why just send the two of us?"

"I'm not sure, maybe because they can't spare any of the other agents at the moment?"

"Doesn't make any sense to me though, we could've at least had a military team with us."

"True enough," Jacen said with a slight shrug, "although we're not exactly supposed to question those above us, we're supposed to do what we're told."

I smiled at my brother and Jacen groaned. "Before you say anything about this smile, I already know what you're going to say, it only can mean trouble." I said laughing, "Let's get a move on, shall we?"

"Fine." Jacen relented looking away from me.

I laughed even harder. "Come on, Jace," I gasped, "you've got to have your head in the mix, focused on the task at hand."

Jacen turned his head to look at me and if looks could kill, I'd be dead. "Let's just get a move on?"

I choked back a laugh and nodded. We trekked through the mountains in silence for a good twenty minutes, before we heard a twig snap behind us. Jacen and I whipped around and saw a deer walk across the path. "It's just a deer." I said relieved.

"Thank goodness for that," Jacen said. "We need to be more alert, it'd be easy to get ambushed here."  
I nodded and we kept vigilant watch on our surroundings as we moved on. We reached a knoll overlooking a valley and, between the next set of mountains and us, was a lake and in the foothills of the mountains, the base we were looking for. "I think that we found it." I said.

"Sentries?" Jacen asked as he took out the two sniper rifles.

"Hard to tell, unless I can have one of the two snipers." I replied holding out my left hand looking out at the base.

Jacen handed me one of the rifles and I took it. I walked so that I was behind a boulder on the top of the knoll, but could still see the base, and carefully lowered myself into a prone position. _I hope that these are sighted in._ I thought grimly as I looked through the scope of the sniper. It looked as if the base was built into the mountainside and that the entrance only protruded a good two hundred yards from the foothills, while the rest of the base resided inside the mountain. I moved the barrel of the gun so that I could look at the entire wall of the entrance and saw a total of ten guards. I looked back at Jacen and said, "I count an even ten sentries."

"Only ten?" Jacen asked astonished.

"They must be changing." I said as I looked back through the scope. Sure enough, I saw a lot more men stream through along with a lot of robots. "Now I count close to three dozen."

"What does the force consist of?"

"Roughly half are human, a quarter are the robot type that had attacked us when we recovered the relics, and the other quarter, they look human…but I cannot tell what they are."

"Wait, what?"

I zoomed in more with the scope on one of the humans in question and saw that they had a violet eye, like the Decepticons and a brown eye, like a normal human eye would appear. "That's impossible!" I breathed.

"What's impossible?" Jacen asked.  
"Have the Cons found a way to _breed_ with humans?" I said still in a shocked whisper.

"Cons would never stoop to such low levels, and even so, it'd be impossible." Jacen said.

"I'm not so sure anymore, Jacen." I said grimly. I looked up from the scope and looked at my brother with disgust in my eyes. "They have a normal eye like a human, and then they have a violet or red eye like the Cons."

"We need to contact Ratchet, ask if it's possible." Jacen said.

_It is possible, trust your instincts, they serve you well. _A voice said inside my head. I instinctively knew that it was from my Ring.

"It's possible." I said with more certainty.

"How do you know?" Jacen asked.

I looked back through the scope and focused back at one of the nine, human/Con hybrids. "The Ring told me." I said simply.

"Your Ring told you?" Jacen asked in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?"  
"What about your wristband? Doesn't that ever tell you anything?" I challenged keeping the crosshairs on target.

"Well," Jacen said. "It actually does."  
"Then why challenge my relic if yours does the same?"

"I don't know, what's the plan?"

"We need to find a way to circumvent the wall that they've built, I want to find out how exactly Cons are breeding with humans." I shuddered at the very thought.

"We're not here for information, we're here to for sabotage!" Jacen replied.

"If the Decepticons are able to create a hybrid that can be in fighting shape in a matter of months, don't you want to know the specifics of what we'd be fighting against?" I asked, "Think of all the damage those hybrids could do, they could infiltrate our government easier than the holoforms of a Cybertronian could! They'd be able to touch the fluids the holoforms cannot."

"You mentioned that they had a violet eye, they can't hide that easily." Jacen pointed out.

"I'm pretty sure that the Cons are smarter than that, how do we know they haven't already infiltrated us?" I asked.

**Ben's POV**

The Autobots had just come back from stopping the Cons and Silas with Project Damocles, when Ratchet opened the ground bridge again and Jenna walked through. I was a bit perplexed. I cocked my head to the side in confusion and waited until she walked forward all the way out of the bridge. "Jenna, where were you?" I asked from my perch on the railing next to the ground bridge controls.

"Delivering some information to Luke and Jacen." Jenna replied with a slight shrug.

I focused right on Jenna and asked, "Are they alright, what's their real mission?"

"Destroy a base in the Sierra Mountains that belongs to a human and Decepticon alliance."

There were gasps of shock and surprise throughout the room, but I kept my composure. "Why are you so calm about all of this?" I asked Jenna.

"For no reason." Jenna said with another shrug. "I just know that the twins will pull through it, they always seem to do that on missions."

My eyes narrowed, we had never told Jenna any of the stories about any of Luke or Jacen's previous missions for Sector 8, or anything of that sort. "Jenna, can I talk to you in the training room?" I asked casually.

"Sure, Ben." Jenna replied with a smile.

"Great." I jumped down from my perch and landed in a crouch next to Jenna. I stood up and we walked side by side until we reached the training room. I opened the human sized door and held it for Jenna and allowed her to go through the door first.

"How kind of you, Ben." Jenna said with a kind smile.

Something threw me off there. There was something off about Jenna. Since the sixteen days Luke had been back with Jenna, it had been only recently that Jenna had started to throw me off a bit. It was actually after we had gotten changed after we had won the Battle of the Bands competition in Las Vegas and Jenna had joined us in the lobby of our hotel looking a bit disheveled. She had dismissed it and said that she was fine, but now I wasn't so sure. With a small sigh, I followed Jenna through the door and closed it. Jenna was holding Jacen's katana and admiring it. "Who are you?" I demanded.

Jenna turned around and looked at me with some sort of insanity gleaming in her eyes. "I'm Jenna, Ben, your friend." She said.

"No, you're not." I said.

"Clever boy," Jenna praised. "Tell me what I want to know, and maybe I'll let you live."

"Fat chance of that happening." I said lowering my chin but keeping my gaze level with Jenna.  
Jenna pouted and looked at me with disappointment and said, "I actually have come to admire you the passed couple of days, Ben, don't make me destroy a talent as promising as yours."

I laughed and shook my head with disdain. "You've got another thing comin' here." I said, "If you think that you've got a chance. I'm dead anyway, so why don't you tell me what the hell you are." I slipped my right hand into my jeans pocket and hit the record button on my phone as I said the last two sentences.

Jenna threw her head back and laughed manically. Once her mad laugh was done, she looked at me with an amount of pity in her eyes. Her right eye turned violet, like the Cons, and her other eye remained the same color. "Do you understand what I am?" she asked me.

"No, but you have an eye that looks a lot like a Decepticons." I said.

"That I do, do you want to know why?"

"I would love to know." I said sarcastically.

"I'll ignore the sarcastic tone and tell you anyway. I came into the world nine months ago four days ago. My father is a Decepticon warrior, and my mother is a human woman." Jenna explained. My eyes widened, how was that possible. Jenna laughed and continued, "I see the shock on your face, you're wondering how this is possible, I'll tell you since you're going to die anyway."  
"That's very considerate of you, you show more manners than the Cons."

"But first, I'll tell you of my mission." Jenna said glaring at me. She leveled the katana at me and forced me away from the door and into a corner where no one could see us. She placed the tip of the blade where my neck met my collarbone and said, "I kidnapped the real Jenna from Las Vegas after the Battle of the Bands competition that you had, and then met you down in the lobby. I took on the form of Jenna and then took her place among the Porter family and the Autobots."  
"Why do this, don't you have free thought, free choice?" I spat, "Or are you just like a Drone?"

'Jenna' laughed and added a little pressure to the blade and I felt a little blood trickle down my chest. "I was made to follow orders, but unlike a Drone, I do have free thought. I can use that free thought to get my task done, I'm the ideal assassin."

"So, when are you going to tell me how you were conceived?" I asked with a yawn.

"My sire used a holoform mode and used it to impregnate my mother. I came out the size of a regular human infant," the last three words the fake Jenna spat at me, "before I was fed Energon. The Energon allowed me to grow to this size and then enabled me to learn English, the mannerisms of my target, and follow her around. I captured Jenna easily, although she did try to put up a fight, a valiant attempt but it was foolish, then after I had touched her, I became her."

"What do you know about me?" I asked, "Since you're the ideal assassin."  
"I know that if I kill you, it will greatly unhinge both Luke and Jacen, making them either potential allies, or easier to dispose of." Jenna said.

"So that's it?" I asked.

"Practically, I've seen you practice your swordplay and I'm not that impressed."

"Are you impressed with this?" I asked as I blasted her with lightning. The fake Jenna screamed in shock and pain as the lighting blaster her across the room and away from me. The katana landed next to her and I kept the lighting going knowing that if I stopped, I'd be killed easily. "I bet that you didn't know that I could do this, did ya?"

The sound of the big door drew my gaze away and the Autobots came running through. Their optics widened in shock but I ignored them. I advanced towards the fake Jenna, still electrocuting her, and I picked up the katana with my left hand. I reached into my pocked with my left thumb and index finger and shut off the recording. I ended the lighting burst and looked down at the fake Jenna and demanded in a harsh voice, "Where's the real Jenna?"

"On board the _Nemesis_, you'll never get her back." The fake Jenna gasped through clenched teeth.

"Thanks, for all the explanation." I said coldly. I aimed the tip of the blade at her chest and stabbed down. Energon spilled out of the body and the Autobots gasped in shock, although I'm sure Optimus did not. I pulled the blade free from the body and looked at the assembled Bots. They were all looking at me in shock. "What?" I asked them.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter XXXI

Raid

**Luke's POV**

I was waiting for Jacen's answer to my question, but one never came. Instead he just merely shrugged. "Exactly," I said. "It's like trying to cheat a cheater."

"What?" Jacen asked perplexed.

I chuckled and looked through the scope and said, "Never mind."

"What should our plan of attack be?"

"I don't know, you're the general."

"You're the strategist." Jacen countered.

I sighed and rolled behind the boulder the rest of the way and then sat up. I undid the straps that tightened my helmet, and I unsecured it from my combat suit. I looked up at Jacen and said solemnly, "I'd have preferred to have known that this was our original target in the first place, then I could've had a good plan of attack, but now," I shrugged, "I need at least one more hour."

"How long do you think before we're discovered?" Jacen asked.

"A day at the least." I answered.

"So we have two hours to think of an attack, at least twenty hours to hit the place hard and bring it out of commission, no pressure at all." Jacen said.

I couldn't help but feel the edges of my mouth curl into a small smile when Jacen said that. "At least you can maintain your sense of humor." I said.

**Ben's POV**

"What do you mean, what?" Shadow asked, "You just killed Jenna!"

"No I didn't." I said with a smile.

Most of the Autobots' jaws dropped, except for Optimus. The Prime looked at me and said, "Why don't you start where you realized you had the lightning potential. Luke had told me that you were unaware that you had the ability."

I looked down at my shoes and thought of how best to explain that I had been eavesdropping in on that conversation before Luke had gone off the grid. "Well, you see…" I started but was unable to finish.

"You listened in to our conversation, didn't you?" Optimus asked.

"Yeah." I admitted.

"That was unresponsible of you…"

"Prime, why don't we just listen to what the kid has to say?" Shadow interrupted, "He can get chastised later."

Optimus turned and looked at Shadow and nodded, and then turned back to look at me. He had a stern look on his face and said, "Tell us what happened."

"Better yet, I can replay it for you." I said as I pulled out my phone and played back the conversation that the fake Jenna and I had had. The Autobots' faces became more understanding and after the recording ended, Bulkhead looked at me approvingly and said, "Nice work baiting her like that, kid."

"Thanks, Bulkhead."

"I don't understand, what is so special about the Porter brothers?" Smokescreen asked, he had just joined the rest of the Autobots and me in the training room.

"Ben's older brothers were selected by Primus to be Human Primes." Optimus said.

"Human Primes?" Smokescreen asked in surprise, "How is that possible?"

"That is still unknown to us. What Luke has shared with me is that Primus has given the three siblings two powers, extreme reflexes and the ability to create and control lightning from their fingertips." Optimus said, "Making them into an infinite power supply if tapped."

"Oh." Smokescreen said a bit subdued.

"As for Ben." Optimus said turning his attention back to me, "We need to keep an eye on you if the Decepticons have decided that you have become a piece that they can use in their game."

**Jacen's POV**

Luke and I sat behind the boulder for another hour before Luke's face lit up. "What is it?" I asked.

"I think I might've just thought of a plan of attack." Luke replied. He took out his dagger from his combat boot and drew a rough sketch of the base and the mountain. "We need to have a distraction to get inside, hit them with the RPG here," Luke marked an X where the right side of the base met the mountain. "Through the smoke of the debris, the other will be sniping, causing confusion from this knoll. This will hopefully get the base to send out men to investigate. We'll set up traps to take out some of the men in the mountain woods here, here, and here." Luke indicated some more areas, "The person that had done the sniping will get closer after each shot so that eventually that one of us will get to the breech in the wall. Once we enter that breech, we find the mainframe, hack into it, hold the control room, and then blow this place to hell by destroying the power generator room." Luke finished.

"I think that'll work." I said with a smile.

"It's actually more simple than I had thought originally." Luke said.

"No comes the hard part, choosing who does what." I said sobering up.

"I think that you should set up the traps, use the RPG, and lead them on the wild goose chase if there is one." Luke said, "I'll take the sniping, infiltrating, and the killing."

"Are you sure?" I asked worried about my brother.

"I'm the better hacker." Luke answered simply, "It's about getting in then getting out you said."

"That's true." I said, "What if there isn't a goose chase?"

"Snipe from atop the mountain and take out anyone that you can." Luke answers grimly.

"I'll go set the traps." I said.

"Good luck." Luke said standing up.

"Ditto." I replied doing the same. The two of us embraced in a man hug and patted each other on the back a couple of times. "Be careful." I told Luke.

"Same to you." Luke said as we stepped away from each other. I picked up the RPG and strapped it to my back. I then slung on the sniper rifle over it and carried the assault rifle. "I'll see you later, hopefully back home." Luke said.

"I'll be looking forward to it." I said. I descended down the knoll and I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't just the RPG.

**Luke's POV**

I watched Jacen walk away and head towards the three areas that I had designated as trap places. I put on a pack filled with explosived and then I went back to lieing on my stomach with the rifle pointed towards the base. I laid there for awhile breathing in and out slowly to control my heart rate. I saw a streak of fire, then saw parts of the wall fly into the air. I zoomed in with the scope and pulled the trigger. A robot fell to the ground deactivated. I crawled forward another three yards and reset. I found another target and followed the target, and fired. A human fell with a bullet through the head. I stood up into a crouch and shuffled over to cover behind a set of boulders just coming off descending the knoll. I took a deep breath and pointed the sniper rifle at the wall. I saw another guard and fired. To my surprise, Energon exploded out of the head. I realized that must've been one of the hybrids. I heard the sound of another explosion and saw a plume of smoke rising in the air. One of the traps must've been triggered. I focused back on my task and took out another three guards in a rapid succession. I slid over to my left behind three other boulders and switched the clips out of the gun. I took a deep breath and released it. I swung back and faced the wall and found more targets. I fired another three shots quickly and three more went down. I got back into a crouch and kept making my way towards the breach in the wall, hoping to go unnoticed. I was another ten yards closer to the breech, when I emptied my second clip. That was twelve targets down, Primus knows how many where left! I emptied another clip before the second trap was set off and by then, I was only about a hundred yards from the breech in the wall. I advanced another twenty yards and took out another four troopers. I looked down and saw what exactly the troopers were wearing. They were wearing a military uniform that was all black with a red Decepticon symbol on the shoulders. The soldier I was standing next to was still breathing and I knelt down next to him. I nudged him and he groaned in protest. I rolled him over and looked at his face. His eyes were full of fear. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked me in fright. I noticed that he was holding his left leg with one hand and his stomach with the other.

I blinked and looked at the the person again. He had to have been close to my age, maybe younger by a year or two. I now noticed the blood seeping from between his hands. "No," I said softly, "I'm not going to kill you."

"You're going to leave me here, aren't you?"

"I have no other options."

"I could tell you what you'd like to know."

"Where's the power generator for the base?"

"It's the farthest room once you enter the base from the breech in the wall. It's also the deepest room."

"You're making no sense."

"You have to get inside the base, enter it, go to the end of the main hallway until you reach an area that branches out in two different ways, go right and descend the stairway until you reach the bottom. The generator room should be there."

"Thank you." I said. I meant it, but I couldn't leave the kid here either. I had never tried to heal other people with my powers before, but I theorized that if it worked on my, then it'd work on someone else. I placed my left hand on the persons stomach and sent a little jolt of electricity into him. He twitched for a brief second and then the bleeding stopped. I moved to his thigh and did the same thing.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome." I said, "But seeing as that I can't have you follow me…" I hit him in the temple with my prosthetic and his eyes rolled back into his head, "You'll need to stay here for the moment."

I looked at my Ring and asked softly, "If you know what I'm thinking, could you put the Con insignia on my shoulders?" The Ring of the Primes glowed blue and purple, and then the glow disappeared. I looked at my shoulders and saw that the Con insignia was actually there. "Thanks."

I flung the sniper rifle away, slung the assault rifle on, and made my way to the breech. I walked through the rubble and climbed up onto the wall. I was paid little to no attention and was able to walk right into the base. I couldn't believe the luck that I was having! I followed the fallen soldiers directions and made my way to the staircase. I started to go down when I was stopped. "Soldier!"

I turned around and saw a squad of ten soldiers approaching me, the lead soldier had gold threads stitched into the chest. I figured that was a sign of rank. "Yes, sir?" I responded. I took a closer look as the squad stopped. The leader had two swords sheathed on his back forming an X and he had a red eye and a brown eye. The rest of the squad appeared to be human.

"What are you doing, soldier, the battle's outside?" The leader said placing his hands on his hips.

"I was told to check on the power levels." I said.

The leader raised an eyebrow and looked at me with suspicion. "What are the clearance codes for the area?" he asked. I froze, I had no idea. "What are the clearance codes?" I was asked again. I stayed silent and the leader said, "Kill him."

The squad lifted up their guns to shoot me, but I did not give them the chance, I took nine of them down with head shots before they could even react. I turned the gun on the leader and he drew the swords and laughed. I fired and he deflected the bullets. I flung the gun away and grabbed my sword and activated it. "What the hell are you?" I asked.

"I'm a hybrid." the leader spat, "They call us techno-organics. We're bred to follow orders, to kill, to infiltrate."

"How are you made?"

"Same way you humans are conceived."

"There's a bit of a size difference." I remarked as we started to circle each other.

"So you know about Decepticons and Autobots, that's good. But then have you heard of holoforms?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with it? I don't think the Cons would stoop so low."

"I think I've figured out who you are." the hybrid said with a smile.

"Good for you, would you like a cookie?"

The hybrid laughed and shook his head scornfully, "I'll answer your original question, Cybertronian DNA and human DNA are actually very similar. If humans and Cybertronians were the same size, hybrids could be seen. We are carried in the womb for nine months then once we are fed a specific amount of Energon, we either assume a protofotm or a human form. If it's the human form, we can become our own human, or we can touch another human and become them."

"The perfect assassin." I mused.

"The perfect assassin, spy, you name it."

"Well, I'll just be going down the stairs." I said.

"No you won't, Mr. Porter." the hybrid said. I froze in mid step and glared at the hybrid. He couldn't see it because of my helmet though. "One of us must die first."

"So be it." I said as I crouched down low and unsheathed my dagger from my right combat boot. I stood up and waited for my opponent to come to me.

I wasn't disappointed, my opponent rushed forward slashing one sword at my neck the other at my legs. I blocked the one going at my neck with my dagger and the other with my sword. I stepped into my opponent and then pushed him away. He stumbled when he tripped over a corpse of a dead soldier and I advanced slowly, calculating what would be the best chance to win. I reversed my grip on both of my weapons and rushed at my opponent in a zigzag pattern. When I got within a couple of paces of him, I jumped into the air and did a flip. While I was in the air, I threw the dagger. I landed and rolled. I got back on my feet and saw my opponent stagger. I switched back to a standard grip and charged my opponent. I slashed, hacked, cut, and stabbed. He dodged, parried, and deflected. I then rotated on my back foot and elbowed him in the back of the head. I swept my feet in an ark and took his feet out from under him. I waited until he got to his knees, then I stabbed him in the chest. His eyes widened in surprise and shock and I looked at him without pity. I pushed the sword all the way through until the hilt was touching his chest. Energon gushed out of the wounds I had given him and with my left hand, I removed the dagger from his left shoulder. I pulled the sword out of the now limp body and watched as his body joined the other nine. I went back to the stairway and went down as fast as I could. I entered the power generator room and took some explosives out of my pack. I set them up so that they would detonate when I was hopefully clear of the building. I set them in the generators and wired them very carefully. I couldn't help but think of how idiotic they were to have their generators next to their armory. I was done setting the charges and ran out of the room and up the flight of stairs. I ran as quick as I could as I hit the detonator. A loud boom was heard and I felt the floor shake beneath me as I sprinted out of the base. I made it to the wall and jumped off of it as the base behind me erupted into a giant fireball. I rolled on my landing and stood up with the use of the momentum. I turned around and looked at the carnage I had caused. What had been the base was now a smoldering and in flames, with thick black smoke flowing into the heavens. Panting, I made my way to the rocks where I had left the soldier that had given me directions. I found him still crumpled up where I had left him. _Thank god for small favors_ I thought. I picked the person up and carried him fireman style. I brought him to the knoll where I would be hopefully rendezvousing with Jacen. I waited for about an hour before Jacen was finally back. "How did it go?" I asked him.

"It went pretty well, I think I got a total of fifty or more that followed." Jacen replied. He looked at the prisoner who I had tied to the rock. "Who's that?"

"Just someone that I thought that we could take with us." I answered.

"Did you check him?"  
"He's clean, no bugs on him whatsoever."  
Jacen removed his helmet and walked over to the prisoner, who I had also gagged. Jacen knelt down, removed the gag, and asked, "What's your name?"

"Tyler Soren." The prisoner replied.

"How old are you?"  
"Eighteen, sir, I just turned eighteen yesterday."

"How long before the Cons descend on this place?" Jacen asked harshly.

"You have ten minutes."

Jacen stood up and looked at me in anger, "I thought you said that you checked him out."

"I did, he didn't have anything on him that was communication, he actually had nothing on him but clothes." I said standing up from where I had been sitting. "Right now, we've got to move, and we're taking him with us back to HQ for further questioning to see if there are any more bases like this one, and where they are located." I whispered into my twin's ear.

"Fine." Jacen consented.

I walked over to Tyler and said, "Sorry, but I can't have you watching where we're going."

"What do you…" he was interrupted by me placing a sack over his head.

"At least you're conscience this time." I told him.

"Yay." Tyler said sarcastically.

I looked at Jacen and said, "Let's move." I picked up Tyler and carried him fireman style again and Jacen and I broke into a run. We ran until we reached our helicopter and Jacen got in first so that he could start it up. I threw Tyler inside like a sack of potatoes and drew my sword.

"Luke, come on!" Jacen yelled.

"You get him back to HQ, we were being followed." I yelled back.

"By who?"

"By me." A familiar evil voice said.

I straightened in surprise and looked back at Jacen and screamed, "Get the hell out of here, NOW!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Jacen yelled.

"How touching." Megatron said as he emerged from the trees aiming his cannon at me.

"Do it Jacen or we're both dead!"

Jacen reluctantly took off and the helicopter flew away. I looked at Megatron, and he at me. "Hello, maggot." He sneered.

"Hello, Megaderp." I sneered back.

"Your pitiful weapons will be of no use against me."

"No, they won't be." I agreed, "But I have a feeling that you aren't alone." After I said that, a lot of Decepticons walked out of the forest and pointed their weapons at me.

"I really should've taken that helicopter with your brother in it down." Megatron said lazily, "He killed one of my men."  
"If you haven't noticed, so have I." I said taking a stance, "Fight me Megatron, or are you to much of a coward to face me."

"I fell for that trick once already, boy," Megatron snarled. "I will not fall for that again."

"No help is coming, Megatron." I assured the Decepticon leader, "It'll be just you and me, to the death."

"And if Optimus Prime comes with his pitiful team?"

"I'll say that we had an agreement and that I will not break it."

Megatron seemed to consider it for a moment and then laughed, "Why would I fight you, human? You are beneath me. I can simply take you prisoner instead, and there will be no repercussions."

"You do remember the last two times you took me captive, don't you?" I pointed out.

"This time," Megatron leered. "There will be no mistakes with you. You will cooperate fully with us this time."  
"And what makes you think that?" I challenged.

"I have something that you might want."  
"I don't think that you do." I said.

"No?" Megatron asked raising an optic ridge. "Soundwave, open a ground bridge and bring out our leverage."

I frowned, leverage? What the hell was this guy talking about? A ground bridge opened and the faceless mech walked through with a cage in one hand and my heart stopped when I saw who was in the cage. "Jenna?" I asked.

Megatron laughed, "So there is something that I have that you would like?"

I glared at Megatron and threw my sword at Soundwave, but a drone walked in front of him to take the cage, and the sword killed stuck in the back of the spark chamber of the drone instead, killing the drone. Megatron looked astonished and then said, "You have no cards left to play."

I felt a deep anger stir within me, and black lighting swirled around me. I felt my vision slipping between red vision and normal. "LET HER GO!" I roared as I extended my arms to my sides. A shockwave of black lightning was sent out and it knocked over some of the drones I fought with myself to control my anger as memories of my past life came back, how I fell into a similar trap and had died.

"Cooperate or she dies!" Megatron ordered.

My head snapped towards Megatron's direction and saw that he had Jenna out of her cage and was holding her in one of his hands, slowly squeezing. I took a deep breath and let it out, and let my lighting defense fall. I looked at the leader of the Decepticons with loathing and said, "Fine, you have your prize. Just let her go."

"Why would I do that? She's leverage to use against you in order to insure that you don't go rouge against the Decepticon cause." Megatron said. "Soundwave, bridge us back."

A ground bridge opened and I was picked up by one of the drones and carried through the ground bridge.

**Jacen's POV**

I landed the chopper at Sector 8 HQ and unloaded Tyler from it and gave him to Fowler. I contacted the Autobots and a ground bridge came. I walked through and was met by all the Autobots, Ben, and our mom. "Where's Luke?" Ben asked.

"He's gone." I said in a choked voice.

"What do you mean, he's gone?" Nightshade asked.

"Megatron showed up with some Cons as we were about to leave and Luke told me to leave. To my shame, I left." I answered.

"What were the coordinates?" Ratchet asked.

I told him and a ground bridge was opened. Optimus went through followed by the all the Autobots, except Ratchet, and I went with them. My eyes widened in shock when I saw the devastation around me. "What happened here?" Nightblaze asked.

"Luke must've tried to hold the Cons off, but I don't see any sign of him." I said. Something caught my eye and I squinted through the smoke from all the trees that had been knocked over by some sort of blast. "What's that?" I asked pointing to a large heap.

Optimus walked over to it and nudged it. "This was a Decepticon drone." Optimus said.

"Was?" I asked as I walked over. I then saw Luke's sword sticking out of the drone's back and I understood in my heart that Luke was indeed gone. "We aren't going to be able to get him back, are we?" I asked.

"We'll do our best, we will not forsake him to torture." Optimus said.

"You know as well as I do that the Cons will not torture him, they'll suck him dry, then torture him." I said grimly. I looked up towards the sky and thought, _Wherever you are, just be safe._


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter XXXII

Captivity

**Ben's POV**

I couldn't help but wonder why Luke had chosen to go with the Decepticons willingly, why would he so willingly go and allow the Cons to experiment on him? It didn't make any sense to me, but maybe he was forced to go, someone that he cared for might have been placed in danger. Who knew for sure? It had been two days since Luke's capture before I went back to school. Nightshade escorted mom around now, Nightblaze kept a close watch on Jacen, and Shadow was keeping me withing her optic sight as much as she could. None of the charges were watched like this, so why were we? I was sitting on first hour pondering that question when I heard kids giggling. I looked up from my desk and looked around the room. Mr. Fraser was standing in the front by the whiteboard with his hands on his hips. "Did you even here the question, Ben?" he asked.

"Sorry, but I wasn't paying attention." I replied honestly.

Mr. Fraser sighed and the class chuckled. "I asked, what are the similarities between the Han and Roman empires?" he repeated.

"Both empires had land distribution problems, they were the largest empires for their times for awhile, and they both fell to outside invaders. Rome fell to the Franks and other Germanic tribes and the Han empire fell to the Mongols." I answered.

Mr. Fraser nodded and said, "Very good, Ben. Now, would you care to tell me what is the importance of the Silk Roads?"

"Trade between Asia and the Roman Empire. Spices, silk, sugar, and prescious metals such as jade, were traded along that route." I answered again. The bell rang and I stood up from behind my desk and was about to leave with the rest of the students, when Mr. Fraser waved me over to his desk.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked me kindly.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, for starters you're never distracted in my class." Mr. Fraser said with a twinkle in his eye, "I never usually have to pick you out of the class, you always raise your hand for questions."

"Oh."

"So, is something wrong?"

"Well, my brothers both enlisted in the military and they're at basic." I said, which if I thought about it wasn't that much of a lie, "Then once they graduate from basic, they're being deployed, and I'm worried about them."

"I see, well just try not to dwell on things that you can't change." Mr. Fraser said. "I hope that your brothers don't come to any harm during their tour of duty."

"Thank you." I said.

"You can go now, I'll write you a pass to next hour."

I nodded as Mr. Fraser wrote me a pass and handed it to me. I hoped that Luke was safe in the Cons hands, but I just couldn't tell from the stories I had heard from Shadow about her family.

**Luke's POV**

I was a bit surprised when the Cons left me to my own vices at the start of my captivity. I had my own gigantic sized room, with my very own entourage of Cons, what more could a guy ask for? I had to find a way to rescue Jenna and get us both out of here safely. I didn't have any weapons, I didn't want the Cons and especially Megatron to know that I had a relic of the Primes, I needed to think of a plan. For two days I thought of a plan. The only thing that could penetrate Cybetronians was Cybetronian metal. If I could get my hands on a dead Con and make myself a weapon or some arrows, I'd be set. The tricky part would be getting the Con or metal that I needed. I couldn't help but feel that time was running out and Megatron was going to start the energy experiments soon. I walked over to my human sized cot and sat down on it. I had yet to take my combat suit off and my helmet was still on. I was itching to get out of here. The giant metal door opened and Megatron and his cronies walked in. I looked up from the floor and glared at the Decepticons. Dreadwing held Jenna in a cage and Megatron smirked at me. "What do you want, Megatron?" I asked.

"Why fleshling, I thought that we've gone through this, I want the power that you have." Megatron said evilly with a smile.

"And I thought that we've gone over the fact that I'm never going to help you." I said in an even tone.

"This time we have proper leverage. There will be no interference from pathetic Sector 8 robotics or Autobots this time." Megatron said dangerously. He aimed his cannon at the cage and looked at it, "It would be a shame to destroy such a beautiful specimen." he remarked. Megatron turned back to me and said, "Now fleshling, if you want her to live, you'll come with me willingly, and you'll take your helmet and combat suit off."

I stood up off the cot and removed the helmet and set it down on the cot. "I'm not taking the suit off, I don't have any clothes on underneath." I said.

"Fine, don't try anything."

"I'm a human," I said. "What can I do to you?"

"Follow me, maggot." Megatron sneered.

Megaton turned and walked out of the room and I followed him. I was followed by Dreadwing and the rest of the drones. Megatron led me to some room on the ship and it looked like the engine room. He turned to face me and said, "Your first task is to power the engines for twenty minutes."

I raised an eyebrow and looked at where the Energon went into the engines. "I can only power one engine, a certain Decepticon lord, cut off my other arm." I said looking pointedly at Megatron.

"You can't channel the power through the prosthetic?" Dreadwing asked.

"Nope."

"He lies, my Lord Megatron." Knockout said.

_Damn you _I thought.

Megatron looked down at me and said, "The task will have to wait then. Knockout, bring him to the brig and torture our joking friend until he learns to tell the truth."

"With pleasure, my liege." Knockout said with glee.

"I want the other fleshling to watch." Megatron said looking at Dreadwing.

"Yes, my Lord Megatron." Dreadwing said respectively.

I rolled my eyes at all of the respect they gave this creep, it was almost amusing if it wasn't so serious. I was picked up by Knockout and brought to the brig, where it looked very familiar. "Looks just like I left it." I muttered.

"What was that, squishy?" Knockout asked with a smirk as he hung me in chains.

"Nothing you narcissistic freak." I spat as he removed the top of the combat suit revealing my chest.

"What did you call me?"

"A narcissistic freak." I repeated looking into Knockout's optics. Knockout backhanded me in on the side and I winced as I felt something crack.

Knockout leaned in close and said dangerously, "I'd be a bit more respectful if I were you."

I looked into his optics more deeply and my blue eyes twinkled with defiance as I replied, "But you aren't me, you're just a slave to the whims of a mad man." Knockout blinked and stood up straight, then backhanded me again, this time on the other side.

"Knockout, you weren't supposed to start until the other fleshling got here." Dreadwing said as he walked in and placed the cage with Jenna in it on a table. She looked at me with fear in her eyes and I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Sorry Dreadwing, I couldn't contain myself." Knockout replied to the SIC of the Cons.

Dreadwing left and I looked at the Decepticon medic and asked, "Was that backhand all you got? I've had harder hits from a ninety year old woman." Knockout's optics flashed with anger as he heard my comment. His right hand transformed into a saw and he approached me. The saw started to whirl and inches closer to my stomach and I just looked into Knockout's optics, and even though my heart was racing and adrenaline was coursing through my body, I said evenly, "Do it, you psychologically fragged up scraplet from the aft of Unicron." The pain registered, but it was more of a shock to the body when the saw made the cut. I cried out in pain as I felt blood leave my body and drip onto the floor. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that I had a couple of broken ribs, and that Megatron was watching this. Knockout stepped away from me and wiped my blood off of his saw, then his hand transformed back to a normal Cybetronian hand.

"Is that better, fleshling?" he asked mockingly.

"It…depends…whether or not…your master…is impressed…with what he sees in his…perverse mind." I said through gritted teeth. Knockout reached for something and it looked like a gigantic cattle prod. I looked at the medic and said, "I honestly can tell you that you probably do not want to be using that next." I coughed and then turned my head and spat out a glob of blood.

I looked back at Knockout and he laughed, "Can't take the pain?"

"I can take it and dish it, but I think that my scars tell a story. I hear that you like to buff and shine yourself, is that true?" I asked as my vision went dark for a moment and then came back. If I died, at least the Cons didn't get me as a power source. But if I died, who would rescue Jenna?

Knockout didn't answer, instead he just stepped forward and started the giant cattle prod. I couldn't help but think of what an idiot this guy was, me and electricity, hello? He touched the prod against my chest and waited for me to cry out and squirm in pain. I didn't, I absorbed the current and used it to speed up the healing process in my body and once I was healed, circulate the current through the chains and into the ceiling. Knockout stepped back and looked at me and demanded, "Why aren't you squirming?"

"Didn't you do your homework?" I asked him nodding down at my torso, he looked down and his optics widened, "Me and electricity mix pretty damn well." With that said, I swung my body back and forth and used lightning to melt the chains down to one link around each arm. Eventually, the momentum of my swinging broke the weakened links and I launched right into the surprised face of the medic. My feet hit his eyes and brought him down, I thought about killing the downed medic, but knew that Optimus wouldn't have approved. Instead I climbed up onto the table and busted Jenna out of her cage. She rushed forward and embraced me in a bone crushing hug. "Easy, easy, just got off the operating table." I winced.

"Sorry." Jenna apologized as she stepped back. I noticed she was wearing the same dress from when we had done the Battle of the Bands in Las Vegas. "When did they get you? I mean you kissed me and then now you're here."

"I never kissed you." Jenna said frowning in confusion.

"Yeah you did, at Sector 8 HQ, you kissed me before I went on the raid." I reminded her.

"What raid?"

"What?" I asked, and then a memory resurfaced of what was said to me by the techno-organic back at the base in the Sierra Mountains _We can touch another human and become them._

_A perfect assassin._

_A perfect assassin, spy, you name it_

"Are you alright?" Jenna asked.

"No, then who was at the base this entire time if it wasn't you?" I asked her, I felt sick.

"That would have been Jenna 2.0" Megatron said as he entered the room.

"You do realize that you will never win the war, Megatron." I said turning away from Jenna and looking at the leader of the Decepticons.

"Oh, and why is that? We out number the Autobots one hundred to one." Megatron sneered.

"You don't have the loyalty, the honor, the courage, or the sparks that Optimus has under his command." I said, "How many neutrals did you alienate back on Cybertron?" Megatron didn't answer, "You only have followers because they knew back on Cybertron that if they didn't follow you that their families would end up meeting their demise by your armies hand. How many sparklings did you kill that were Autobots? How many femmes did you kill, just to doom your race? Any empire in history always crumbles, _Lord _Megatron. You're to power hungry and war mongering. Your lust for power and utter domination will be your downfall."

"In war, do you really think atrocities are committed by one side?" Megatron asked in a smooth voice.

"War is a disgusting thing, and from what I understand, you started the war back on Cybertron."

"The Autobots killed my family in Kaon during a raid, do you think the Autobots are as saintly as you believe they are?"

"I believe they made mistakes, you on the other hand, you're just corrupted by power. What happened to the Megatronous that Orion Pax looked up to and respected?"

"He's long gone." Megatron replied. "Take the two of them away, keep a close eye on them."

Drones walked in and one picked me up with one hand and picked Jenna up with the other. The drone carrying us walked us back to the room I had been staying in previously, but now there were four guards instead of two. The drone set us down inside the room and turned around. I walked over to my cot and sat down on it and put the helmet on.

"Quid agis?" Jenna asked.

"Si communicatio cum fabrica in mea galeam adhuc operatur." I replied. Jenna nodded and sat down on the floor. I tried to activate it but it wasn't working I cursed and Jenna looked up from the floor.

"Quid est?" she asked.

"Suus interclusus." I replied.

"We're never going to get out of here, are we?" Jenna asked softly.

"Don't you dare talk like that, we are going to get out of here." I said looking into Jenna's eyes. "I swear to you, I will get you off of this warship if it's the last thing I do on God's green earth."

**Authors Note: **

**Quid agis means what are you doing**

**Si ****communicatio cum fabrica in mea galeam adhuc operatur means I'm checking to see if the communication device still works**

**Quid est means what's wrong**

**Suus interclusus means it's being blocked.**

**Thanks to Guest: Princess of Dreams for reviewing the last chapter.**

**Please R&R **


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter XXXIII

The Seeds of Madness

**Jacen's POV **

I was at the Sector 8 HQ, more specifically in my office sitting behind my desk. General Bryce sat across from me and I was rubbing my temples, "Why won't you let me talk to him?" I asked.

"You are not qualified." General Bryce answered.

"Why not?" I challenged looking him in the eye, "He could know where Luke is, Jenna too." I said trying to push my point.

"We cannot track the Decepticon warship." General Bryce pointed out, "You know this."

"He could still give us information, there has to be other bases!"

"Our intelligence wing hasn't found anything…"

"How long did it take to find that base?" I interrupted.

"A couple of months." General Bryce answered with a sigh.

"Now do you see my point? What if the Cons transferred Luke or Jenna to another base?"

"As harsh as this sounds, you need to stop focusing on your brother." General Bryce said looking me directly in the eyes.

"Luke would never give up on me, so why would I ever give up on him?"

"I'm not saying give up, I'm saying stop fixating on his rescue."

"What would you do if the Cons had someone that you loved?" I challenged.

"I would do my duty to this country first, one person is not above the rest of the nation!"

"You don't think I understand that!" I shot back, "It's just after everything that Luke has done for this agency, you turn your back on him!"

"We have no choice!" General Bryce snapped.

"We have no choice, or do you just not want to waste the resources?"

General Bryce narrowed his eyes and said in a cold tone, "Listen here boy, I will not be questioned by some greenhorn who has little combat experience! You may be a general here, but I still have the experience where it counts. You're just some spoiled, alien god favored, brat, who whines when things don't go his way!" he roared as he stood up and then exited my office.

I let out a sigh of anger and shook my head in disgust. "You have no idea what I have gone through, General, how long has it been since you've seen combat?" I vented outloud. My office door opened and Agent Fowler walked in accompanied by Agent Cummings. I looked up from my desk and said, "It's good to see you well again, Agent Cummings."

"Thank you, sir." Agent Cummings replied with a smile.

"What can I help the two of you out with?" I asked folding my hands on my desk.

"There have been reports that MECH has reorganized under a new leader, General Bryce wants you to investigate." Agent Fowler said.

I frowned, "That doesn't make sense to me, he was just in here, why not tell me himself?"

"He saw us in the hallway as he was passing us and told us to tell you about it." Fowler replied, "General Bryce then said something to the fact about how kids no longer respect their elders."

"Oh." I simply said. I thought about the mission for a bit then looked back at the two agents and asked, "What if I refuse?"

"We find another person to lead the mission." Agent Cummings replied.

"I decline, I don't have the experience needed for this I believe according to General Bryce." I said a bit mockingly.

"Alright then, we'll inform the general." Fowler said.

I nodded my thanks and looked out the office window. I had been thinking of a plan for awhile now, it was time to put it in motion.

**Luke's POV**

I was brought back to my room after running the warships engines for an hour. I was tired, but pleasantly surprised when I saw that my request for some old Cybertronian scrap metal had been approved. I looked over at Jenna, who was sitting on the cot, and asked, "When did this get here?"

"About ten minutes ago." Jenna replied. She looked at me with worry evident in her eyes and asked, "What if this doesn't work?"

"It'll work." I assured her.

"How do you know?"

"I just do." I looked around and then asked, "Quod dixi tibi?" (did you do as I asked)

"Secundum expectationem cameras?" Jenna asked, I nodded, "Tum etiam, fecique." (regarding the cameras? Then yes, I did)

I nodded in satisfaction and replied, "Boni quid invenientibus?" (good, what did you find)

"Nihilo." (nothing)

"Good, I want to see how long the Cons leave us alone."

"I don't think that they'll leave us alone." Jenna said sadly, "Ever."

"One way or another, wars must end." I said looking Jenna in the eye.

I gathered the scrap metal and seperated material that I would need. Usually a compound bow was made of plastic components or aluminum, but Cybertronian metal should hopefully work nicely. I used my lightning to cut the metal into the shapes I needed, and I eventually had all of them laid out before me. I had the bow, two pulleys, sights, a release, all I needed was a string. I looked over at Jenna and asked, "How long have I been working?"

"Roughly five hours." Jenna answered.

"What we really need is some strong string or some cable." I remarked.

"For the bow string?" Jenna asked, I nodded. "Would this work?" she asked as she took something out of her bag that she had somehow maintained throughout her captivity with the Decepticons. I squinted at the object and couldn't see what it was that she held.

"What is it?" I asked.

"High-modulus polyethylene."

My jaw dropped, "Where…where did you get that?" I stammered.

"From the monastery," Jenna replied. "Why, what is it usually for?"

"It's usually used for bow strings." I told her.

"Oh, here you go." Jenna said softly as she walked over and handed the string to me.

"Thanks, what were you planning on using it for?" I asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know, just rope." Jenna said with a shrug as she walked back to the cot.

I laughed and shook my head, but I was smiling my first real smile in almost three days. I went to work on putting the bow together, and an hour later the project was complete. I stood up from where I had been sitting on the floor and held the bow experimentally in my left hand. It all looked correct, but I needed an arrow to find out for sure. I did a double check to see of no one was looking and used the Ring to create an arrow. I knocked it onto the string, aimed for one of the lights, and pulled back on the string. The pulley system worked flawlessly, and once I had my sights lined up, I released the string. The arrow flew towards the light and struck it, the light erupted in sparks and flickered in and out and then stayed out. The arrow disappeared, and I smiled, my plan was looking more and more plausible.

Jenna looked over at me and asked, "Was shooting the light necessary?"

"What else was I going to shoot?" I asked still smiling.

"When are we going to try and bust out of here?"

I thought about it for a couple of moments and decided, "Tonight."

**Ben's POV**

The school day ended and I walked over to where I had parked Shadow. I mounted up and put on the helmet. "How was school?" Shadow asked through the comm unit.

"It was alright, it definitely could have gone a lot better." I said with a sigh as Shadow started her engine and backed up.

"Wanna talk about it, kid?" Shadow asked kindly.

"I don't know." I admitted.

"Lets just go for a ride." Shadow said as she sped out of the parking lot and onto the road.

"Don't we have to go back to base?"

Shadow chuckled, "You know kid, there's a lot that Prime lets us do. As long as we don't break any rules, he's alright with us skipping base for a bit."

"Alright, but if we get chastised I'm blaming you."

Shadow laughed and sped onto the highway. We rode in silence for awhile, taking in the scenery before Shadow asked, "What happened in school today?"

"I just couldn't focus," I said. "I kept thinking about Luke and Jenna trapped aboard the Cons warship. I'm worried about them."

"That's understandable, but you have to trust that Luke will take care of himself and take care of Jenna." Shadow said gently.

"I know, but I can't stop thinking of what Megatron could be putting the two of them through."

"My father is a lot of things, but he isn't wastefull, he doesn't kill or damage a tool that he can use for later." Shadow said bitterly, "Knowing Luke, he's probably thought of a plan to get Jenna out of there."

"Yeah." I agreed, then it hit me. "Wait, you just said Jenna! What about him?"

"I've seen a lot of Bots like your brother, kid,"'Shadow said sadly. "They place others safety above their own. It's honorable, but it often gets them killed. I've seen flashes of that in Luke. For instance, when he battled that other human one on one to save countless lives, when he fought Megatron hand to hand so that Optimus and the rest of us could come and rescue Nightshade, he risked his neck to go and save that Sector 8 agent when that building was in flames. Even when he told Jacen to take the prisoner from the base they had just raided and leave him behind, Luke has that fatal flaw of loyalty."

The more I thought about what Shadow had just said, the more sense it made about Luke's actions. He couldn't allow someone to take a shot for him, yet he'd take a shot for someone else. "I suppose you're right." I said grudgingly.

"We should head back to base." Shadow said.

"We should." I agreed.

"Hold on, kid." Shadow said as she sped up and then did a wheelie, turning us around and bringing us towards the road that would lead us towards the base. We sped along and I looked at the speedometer and saw that the needle was staying between 115 and 120 mph. I was grinning behind my helmet and gripped the handlebars in preparation for the upcoming stoppie. Shadow hit the breaks and we skidded along on a stoppie for about twenty feet. When the back tire hit the ground, Shadow hit the acceleration into the base. We pulled into the main room and I dismounted. My heart was pounding, but I was still as giddy as a school boy.

I took my helmet off and looked at Shadow as she transformed. "Thank you." I said.

"Anytime, kid," Shadow said with a smile. "Anytime."

**Luke's POV**

I had fashioned close to sixty arrows out or the heap of scrap metal that Megatron had been so generous to bestow upon me. I made sure that every single arrow fit perfectly on the knock. When I was satisfied that they did, I made a quiver out of the leather from the bottom of the cot. I used a small sharp piece of some unused scrap metal as a needle, and some left over high-modulus polyethylene string as thread, and sewed the leather into a cylinder. I placed the arrows into the quiver so that the fletching was pointed up, and the arrowheads down. I made a strap for the quiver and sewed it to the quiver and set the strap and quiver on the ground next to the cot. Since I was still shirtless, Jenna had been nice enough to make me a leather jerkin and a forearm guard from the rest of the leather from the cot. She approached me with the jerkin and I nodded my thanks. I put it on, and it was a bit tite across the chest. My arms where left bare, but I didn't care about that. My torso was covered, a bit of protection never hurt anyone. I glanced over at Jenna, who was experimentally swinging a falchion I had made out of the scrap metal for her, and silently prayed to Primus to keep her safe. I knelt down and picked up the bow and quiver. I slung the quiver onto my back, the fletchings were easily accessible from my right shoulder, and two long knives went on my hips. I put on my helmet last and rolled my head around in a circle, cracking my neck a couple of times. My heart was racing and I took deep breaths to calm myself down. I just had to get Jenna to the bridge or wherever they kept the ground bridge, and get her out of here. Give her my helmet and my Ring, tell her to give them to Ben, if I couldn't make it through with her. I looked over at Jenna and asked, "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be for this." Jenna replied quietly.

I nodded and drew an arrow. I knocked it and his in a corner. "You know what to do." I said.

Jenna nodded and walked up to the giant door. "We were wondering if we could have our meal now, it's been awhile since we've had our last one." Jenna called.

"Stand back, fleshling and don't you dare try to run." a Decepticon warned.

"I would never dream of it, you're to big and strong." Jenna called.

I smirked, pulled back the string and held it. The door opened and Jenna took a step back as two of the Cons entered. I released an arrow and quickly knocked another and aimed, then released again. The two Cons went down with arrows in their sparks and the third Con came in and Jenna cut the Cons legs, and then its neck as it fell. I walked out of my hiding spot and looked into Jenna's shocked face. "It's alright, you'll get over it." I said trying to comfort her.

Jenna closed her eyes and retrieved my arrows and came back to me. "Does it ever get any easier?" she asked.

"Does what get any easier?" I asked.

"Killing?"

"No." I answered gently as I took my arrows back and wiped the Energon off and placed them back in the quiver. I looked out the door and didn't see any Cons coming so I led Jenna out of the room and into the hallway. "What way is the bridge?" I asked her.

"We need to go left and head that way until we reach a hallway where it splits into three seperate hallways. We keep going straight and then take a right at the next intersection. From there, we're at the bridge." Jenna answered.

"Lets hope they don't send Insecticons." I said.

"What are those?"

I heard someone coming and quickly pulled Jenna aside and hid her in a small alcove in the wall. I hid myself across the hallway and two Seekers walked passed. "Yeah, did you hear that Soundwave is closing in on the location of the Autobot base?" one asked.

"I don't believe it, that's been said for three years." said the other.

"True, what do you think of these super powered humans?"

"I think it's unnatural, it just shouldn't happen."

The pair walked passed and I gestured for Jenna to come out. I came out of my spot as well and motioned with my head that we should break into a jog. We jogged for a couple of minutes before an announcement was made, "Decepticons, the prisoners have escaped, repeat the prisoners have escaped. Find them and bring them to my chambers, alive!"

"That'd be Megatron." I said.

"He doesn't sound too thrilled." Jenna commented.

"Nope." I agreed as we continued running. We came to the hallway where it branched in the different locations, but headed straight. I held onto my bow and drew an arrow. I knocked it while running, turned around, drew back the string, and fired. A Con went down and I turned back around like nothing happened all in a matter of a few seconds.

"How did you do that?" Jenna demanded.

"No idea, just focus on getting to where we need to go!" I told her as I knocked another arrow and drew the string back. I fired again and a Con a hundred yards ahead of us collapsed with an arrow in the base of his head. As we ran passed him, I grabbed my arrow and reknocked it. Adrenaline was coursing through my body as we reached the hallway where it went two seperate ways. We went right and a heck of a lot of Decepticons emerged. I switched bow hands and shot a huge blast of lightning from my left hand and then made I gigantic ball and threw it at the Cons. I killed some Cons instantly, knocked out others. The rest dodged and fired at us. I jumped ahead of Jenna and skidded another five feet as I charged up a wall of black lightning. I used it to absorb the Energon attacks and then with a roar I pushed the black wall of electricity forward. It encased the Cons and Jenna and I went back to sprinting towards our destination. We reached the bridge and I took out three Cons before they even knew what was happening. I jammed the door shut as it closed behind us and took deep breaths as Jenna and I recovered from our sprints.

"That…was…intense." Jenna huffed.

"I agree." I said panting.

We then walked over to the ground bridge and I created a disk big enough for Jenna and I to stand on out of lightning. Once we were on, I brought us up to the ground bridge and set us down by the controls. The door thudded and I knew deep down that I was going to have to make a last stand. "Jenna," I said gently, "You need to go alone."

"What! I'm not going to leave you!" Jenna cried.

"If you stay, we both die." I said as I removed my helmet. I handed it to her and then unsheathed a knife from my hip. I cut the prosthetic finger off that had the Ring on it and handed it to her as well. "Give these to Ben. Tell my family that I'm sorry and I love them." The door thudded again and cracks appeared. Jenna had tears in her eyes and I smiled. "Don't worry about me. We all have to die sometime. My time has come. All the lives that I have taken, all the blood I have spilled, all the blood I have shed, has led me to this. I know what it's like to die, just go." The door thudded a third time and I punched in coordinates. I looked into Jenna's eyes and said, "Go through the ground bridge, once you're clear you should be able to contact the Autobots. Say call Nightshade or call Shade, and you should be able to contact them. Understand?" Jenna nodded and the door shuddered under the brutal assault from outside. "Tell my family that I have no regrets, I love them, and tell them, I died for freedom." The ground bridge opened and I pushed Jenna through just as the door busted open. I closed the bridge and was surprised to see humans walking in, instead of Cons. I calmly fired arrows into the crowd and watched as my arrows hit their targets. Bullets flew in my direction and I jumped off the ground bridge control panel. I rolled on the floor and stood up firing. More humans went down before Decepticons started to walk in. My quiver was now empty and I was deflecting bullets with the long knives I had made. I deflected a bullet and Megatron finally appeared and bellowed, "ENOUGH!" He glared at me and I was panting I looked up at his gigantic frame and smiled. "You have caused a lot of damage, fleshling."

"As have you." I replied.

"I challenge you to a duel, one on one." Megatron said.

I laughed and the humans looked at me like I had lost it. I looked up at Megatron and said, "How? I can't kill you in a holoform mode, but you could still kill me. Unless you could somehow shrink down to my size, then bring it."

"You can kill us in our holoform modes if you haven't noticed." Megatron growled, "You killed some Decepticons that way when you raided that base."

"Then I accept your challenge." I said, fully knowing what the outcome of this was going to be.

The Brock Lesnar holoform made an appearance once again and a human scurried forward and handed Megatron a three foot long, double edged sword. He swung it a couple of times and then looked at me at the knives. "Would you prefer those or an actual sword?" Megatron asked in a mocking tone.

"If you have a sword to spare, that'd be wonderful." I answered narrowing my eyes.

Another human came forth and warily handed me a sword similar to Megatron's. I tested the balance and found it to my liking and looked the holoform in the eye and asked, "Shall we dance?"

Megatron roared and charged forward sweeping the sword at me in an overhead strike. I sidestepped and rolled. As I got to my feet I jumped up and attacked in a fluid motion, but Megatron blocked the attack. He struck again and I locked the blades between our bodies. Megatron sneered in my face and then elbowed me in the face. I stumbled back at spat out a glob of blood. Megatron advanced and attacked. I parried and counterattacked. We stood in the center of the bridge exchanging blows. Megatron used force behind his blows, where I used grace and fluidity. Megatron was a cunning warrior and I could respect him for that. It's what came next that shocked the both of us, there was the sound of a gun shot and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Megatron took a step back and looked around. He saw the soldier who had shot me and threw his sword at him. The soldier turned to run, but was impaled by the blade. I sank to my knees and spat out another glob of blood Megatron walked towards me and I was smiling. "Why are you smiling?" Megatrob asked.

"Because…" I coughed. "You will always lose. Even in your victories, you have lost." I spat another blood glob and looked at Megatron. "Nothing lasts forever," my voice barely audible now. My vision was slipping, I could feel my heart beating faster to try and supply blood and oxygen to my body, but it was starting to slow down. My breathing was becoming irregular. "When on history, has the bad guy ever won?" I gasped as I fell onto my back. I felt a warmth flow over me and I saw my father, my grandma who had died of lymphatic cancer, Dyllan, they were beckoning me home. I took a last breath and then released a contented sigh, my eyes saw no more, I knew no more. I was at peace.

**Authors Note:**

**Sorry, it had to be done. **

**I'd like to thank those who have just recently favorited/followed this story. **

**I'd like to thank Guest: Princess of Dreams for reviewing and please do not kill me**

**A poem in memory of the fallen Luke:**

_**I awake during the blackest day**_

_**Seeing love and pleasure get taken away**_

_**All because I don't understand**_

_**Who I caused you so much pain**_

_**Standing before the darkest night **_

_**Waiting alone with tears in sight**_

_**Knowing your death is all my fault**_

_**Cursing myself for my own weakness**_

_**The storm of destruction is in us all**_

_**Causing depression and fear inside**_

_**Spreading hell and death as it goes**_

_**Unable to whether the storm I die**_

_**My weakness showing my desire**_

_**Shown to all who thought they knew me**_

_**Causing them to rethink their lives**_

_**I forced upon them my pain and doubts**_

_**The storm of destruction passes by**_

_**I decide that I must die**_

_**Pass into a work I hope I knew**_

_**Waking to a pounding pain**_

_**I'm sorry but I have to go**_

_**For fear of dragging you to hell with me **_


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter XXXIV

The End

**Jacen's POV**

I was getting ready to get my F-22 ready for flight when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. As soon as the pain came, it went. I immediately knew that Luke was seriously hurt or worse. I put on my helmet and said, "Bridge me back, Ratchet."

"Why, has something gone wrong at your place of work?" the medic asked me.

"No, there's something wrong with Luke, I can feel it." I replied.

"We'll see you shortly."

A ground bridge opened up and I ran through it. I took my helmet off and ran to the human area. "What is it?" Nightblaze asked me.

"I'm not sure, I think that Luke's dead." I replied, "I hope that I am wrong."

"Jacen, what's wrong?" my mom asked as she walked in with Nightshade from the corridor.

"Luke's in trouble, I think that he's dead." I answered. My moms face fell and she looked down at the ground sadly. "You've felt it too, haven't you?" I asked.

"I felt something." mom replied.

Nightshade stiffened and walked over to the ground bridge. He pushed Ratchet out of the way, who moved not so quietly, and punched in some numbers. He activated the ground bridge and then ran through. "What was that all about?" I asked.

"Who knows!" Ratchet exclaimed grumpily.

Nightshade came back carrying Jenna and she was carrying Luke's helmet and looked like she had been crying. My heart fell and I knew that something was very wrong. "Is she hurt?" my mom asked. Nightshade shook his head and set Jenna on the couch.

"She said that she would explain when everyone was here." Nightshade said in a gruff voice.

An hour later, Jack, Miko, Raf, Ben, Aunt June, and all of the Autobots, minus Wheeljack, where in the area with me, Jenna, and my mom. "Jenna, tell us what happened." Optimus said gently.

"Luke was brought on board the Decepticon warship as a means of energizing the engines and other things for the Cons," Jenna said in a hoarse voice. "He lied to Megatron and was subjected to torture in front of my eyes, he eventually healed himself using the energy from the medics Energon prod and broke free of his chains. Megatron allowed us to room together and Luke told me that he would get me off of the ship, if it was the last thing he ever did." Jenna's voice broke at that point. "He asked Megatron for some Cybertronian scrap metal and we were actually granted that request. Luke made a compound bow, sixty arrows, two long knives, and a falchion for our escape plan. Our plan worked until we got into the bridge of the ship." Tears started streaming out of Jenna's eyes and her voice broke again. "I'm sorry." she apologized.

"It's alright, Jenna," I said. "Take your time."

A couple of minutes passed and Jenna got herself back together. She closed her eyes and continued with the story, "Luke jammed the door and the Cons were breaking in, so he entered random coordinates into the ground bridge controls and told me to go through it. I refused to go without him and the door started to give way. He told me that if I didn't go, we would both die. Luke removed his helmet and cut off his right ring finger and gave them to me and told me to give them to Ben. He assured me that everything was alright. He told me to tell you guys that he loved you all and he had no regrets. The door opened and I was pushed through. I turned and saw Luke calmly take his bow and arrow and fire into a crowd of humans that walked in. I was expecting Cons, but instead it was humans. I was about to turn back and grab him when the ground bridge started to close from his side, so I ran to the other side." Jenna stopped and cried. I closed my eyes and felt tears slide down my face, Luke was dead and he died willingly. He did it so that an innocent person could move on, that's a sacrifice I would honor him for. Jenna looked up from the floor and then stood up. She walked over to Ben and handed the helmet to him. "These are yours now." was all that she said before she went back to the couch and started crying again.

"I don't believe he's dead!" Miko exclaimed, "He can't be."

"He is." Ben said softly as he looked inside the helmet. He inserted his right hand and pulled out the prosthetic finger. I didn't understand at first, but then I saw the Ring of the Primes on it.

"Luke had been trying for months to get that off of him." I said in disbelief.

"The Ring of the Primes only comes off when the bearer is close to their demise." Optimus said sadly.

We all turned and looked up at the Autobot commander. "You knew, didn't you?" I asked.

"About what, Jacen?" Optimus asked puzzled.

"You knew that we were never going to see Luke again when I came back."

"I had my suspicions," Optimus said. "I was hoping in my spark that I was wrong." Optimus turned to Ben and said, "Luke chose you as his successor."

"I don't want the Ring, I want my brother." Ben choked on tears. The Ring slid onto his finger and I knew for sure that Luke had known this day would come.

"I'm tired of all of this." I said suddenly.

"Of what?" Blaze asked me.

"Of war, of fighting." I answered looking up at my friend and guardian. "I want to go somewhere where I can be at peace, where I won't be hunted, where I won't have to fight."

"I know of a place, if you're being serious." Jenna spoke up. Everyone turned and looked at her in surprise. It had been awhile since she had last spoken. "But be warned, if you go there you'll never come back out."

"Is it the monastery?" Ben asked.

Jenna nodded, "But you left." Jack pointed out.

"That's different, I didn't go there by choice, I was left there by my parents." Jenna said solemnly.

"What about Luke, he left there?" I asked.

"He needed information, not refuge."

"So if we go there for refuge, we can't leave?" Ben asked, Jenna nodded, "What about security?"

"Cons have tried to attack it in the past, but Sensei Tai isn't getting any younger." Jenna answered looking pointedly at Nightshade and Blaze. "We could use the security."

Blaze looked at Nightshade and said, "We could see dad again."

"There wouldn't be a war anymore." Nightshade agreed. The two twins looked at Optimus who was smiling at the pair and I felt a deep pang of loss.

"If that is what the two of you feel is necessary, then I will not hold you back. I don't see this as desertion, I see it as moving on to a different post. Give my regards to Tracks for me." Optimus said.

"Yes, sir." the twins said simultaneously.

I looked at Ben and he nodded. I looked over at our mother who was staring at the helmet in Ben's hands with a sad look on her face. I walked over to her and touched her shoulder. "Are you going to come to the monastery with us?" I asked her.

"Of course." she replied in a hollow voice. I couldn't blame her, she had just lost her oldest son. Sure Luke and I were technically the same age, but he was older than me by twenty minutes. I walked over to Fowler and said, "Consider this my resignation."

"No problem, soldier." Fowler said, "I can understand what you're feeling. I felt it too when I lost my cousin a couple of years back."

We shook hands and Jenna told Ratchet the coordinates of the monastery. Ben was looking at Shadow and I helped my mom off the couch and to the ground bridge. I stopped before the entrance and felt at peace with my decision. I turned around and looked at the gathered Autobots and humans. "Thank you all for the friendship," I said. "I'll stay in touch with you as much as I can."

"We wish you and your family the best of luck, we really do," Optimus said. "You'll still have Nightshade and Nightblaze so you won't be without Autobot protection. We hope that you have a long and prosperous life."

Nightshade and Blaze joined my mother and me down by the ground bridge and gave Optimus a salute. Ben said something to Shadow and she smiled to him. He smiled back and then came down to join us. Ratchet opened the ground bridge and Jenna joined us as we walked through to the monastery. I was sad to leave the Autobots and the base, but not their war. I was glad to leave death and destruction behind and see life and joy ahead.

**Authors Note:**

**Confused Minds is now finished, there will not be a continuation of any sort with characters from this story. I will be writing a new story shortly, it will still be in the Transformers Prime universe, but it'll be a heck of a lot more realistic and true to the story. I would like to thank my faithful reviewer Guest: Princess of Dreams for Reviewing. **


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